The Age of Kali by William Dalrymple (1998) — Dalrymple's collection of dispatches from South Asia includes sharp, vivid writing on Pakistan and Kashmir during a turbulent decade. The chapters on Pakistan and the Line of Control give context to the political and human realities of Azad Kashmir, and the writing is good enough to carry you through places you may never reach.
Scars of Division: The 2005 Kashmir Earthquake and Its Aftermath — Various journalists and researchers have documented the October 2005 earthquake, which killed over 73,000 people across Pakistan-administered Kashmir and was one of the deadliest natural disasters in Pakistani history. Bagh District was among the worst-affected areas. Reading any substantial account of the earthquake before visiting helps make sense of the rebuilt towns and the ongoing reconstruction visible across the region.
The Meadow by Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark (2012) — Tells the story of Western hostages taken in Kashmir in 1995, and in doing so paints a detailed portrait of the Kashmir valley — its landscape, its people, and the conflict that has shaped the region for decades. Focused on the Indian-administered side of the Line of Control, but provides essential background for understanding the broader Kashmir context that defines Azad Kashmir too.