Books of the week: From Cyrus Mistry's The Prospect of Miracles to Clues to the Cosmos, our picks

We love stories, and even in the age of Netflix-and-chill, there’s nothing like a good book that promises a couple of hours of absorption — whether curled up in bed, in your favourite coffeehouse, or that long (and tiresome) commute to work. Every Sunday, we’ll have a succinct pick of books, across diverse genres, that have been newly made available for your reading pleasure. Get them wherever you get your books — the friendly neighbourhood bookseller, e-retail website, chain store — and in whatever form you prefer. Happy reading! For more of our weekly book recommendations, click here . ***

– FICTION In the Company of Strangers By Awais Khan Simon & Schuster | Rs 399 | 240 pages Writer and entrepreneur Awais Khan’s debut novel In the Company of Strangers enters the world of Pakistan’s elite, following Mona. She has money, friends, a respectable social status, and everything one desires, except freedom. Desperately craving a sense of belonging, she follows a friend into a world of glamour, affairs, and drugs, where she meets Ali. As their deceit spirals out of control, she risks losing everything she holds dear. Read more about the book here. The Prospect of Miracles: A Novel By Cyrus Mistry Aleph Book Company | Rs 599 | 208 pages Playwright and award-winning novelist Cyrus Mistry’s new novel is a story of love and betrayal. It follows the death of Pastor Pius Philipose, a charismatic priest in Kerala. As people gather to mourn the passing of their kind Pastor, his wife Mary Agnes begins speaking. She details the harsh truths and many deceits of a man who was never what he seemed to be. Read more about the book here. – MEMOIRS AND BIOGRAPHIES A Dominant Character: The Science and Politics of JBS Haldane By Samanth Subramanian Simon & Schuster India | Rs 799 | 384 pages Journalist and writer Samanth Subramanian’s A Dominant Character is the biography of British scientist JBS Haldane. Besides detailing Haldane’s contributions to genetics and evolutionary biology, Subramanian also writes about his radical political and philosophical ideas. The book sheds light on Haldane’s time in India, of his affiliation with Calcutta’s Indian Statistical Institute and attachment to the Genetics and Biometry Laboratory in Bhubaneshwar, where he later died. Read more about the book here. Dilip Kumar: Peerless Icon Inspiring Generations By Trinetra Bajpai, Anshula Bajpai Bloomsbury India | Rs 1,299 | 300 pages Authors Trinetra and Anshula Bajpai provide a look at the life of Mohammad Yusuf Khan, better known by his screen name Dilip Kumar. From his early life and family to his evolution as an actor and an exhaustive filmography, and from his relationships with contemporaries and colleagues to romances and marriage to Saira Banu, the book dives into the life of this legend, and is supported by over a hundred rare and family photos. Read more about the book here. – NON-FICTION Clues to the Cosmos By Shohini Ghose Jaico Publishing House | Rs 399 | 228 pages In Clues to the Cosmos, theoretical physicist and professor Shohini Ghose tells the stories and explains the science behind some of the greatest discoveries in physics. From the Big Bang to the warping of space and time, and from black holes to quantum uncertainties and elusive particles, she shows how scientists have collected clues and constructed narratives that best fit the evidence. Read more about the book here. The Cases That India Forgot By Chintan Chandrachud Juggernaut | Rs 599 | 256 pages Constitutional expert Chintan Chandrachud sheds light on ten impactful legal cases, from the 50s to the present day, that have faded from the public memory. Dividing the book into four sections – Politics, Gender, Religion, National Security – he points out the nuances and complications of the law and highlights how Courts don’t always offer fair justice. Read more about the book here. Read an excerpt from the book here . The New World Disorder and The Indian Imperative By Shashi Tharoor and Samir Saran Aleph Book Company | Rs 799 | 312 pages In this book, politician and best-selling author Shashi Tharoor, and President of the Observer Research Foundation and author Samir Saran, lay down the state of chaos and disorder the world is in today. It traces the roots of the upheaval to the inequity of the post-war international structure and identifies new and emerging ideas. It also explains how India may be the only country with the capacity to script an equitable ethic for the international order in the future. Read more about the book here.