Want to know what books Adnan Virk recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of Adnan Virk's favorite book recommendations of all time.
1
From a veteran culture writer and modern movie expert, a celebration and analysis of the movies of 1999—arguably the most groundbreaking year in American cinematic history.
In 1999, Hollywood as we know it exploded: Fight Club. The Matrix. Office Space. Election. The Blair Witch Project. The Sixth Sense. Being John Malkovich. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. American Beauty. The Virgin Suicides. Boys Don’t Cry. The Best Man. Three Kings. Magnolia. Those are just some of the landmark titles released in a dizzying movie year, one in which a group of daring filmmakers and... more From a veteran culture writer and modern movie expert, a celebration and analysis of the movies of 1999—arguably the most groundbreaking year in American cinematic history.
In 1999, Hollywood as we know it exploded: Fight Club. The Matrix. Office Space. Election. The Blair Witch Project. The Sixth Sense. Being John Malkovich. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. American Beauty. The Virgin Suicides. Boys Don’t Cry. The Best Man. Three Kings. Magnolia. Those are just some of the landmark titles released in a dizzying movie year, one in which a group of daring filmmakers and performers pushed cinema to new limits—and took audiences along for the ride. Freed from the restraints of budget, technology (or even taste), they produced a slew of classics that took on every topic imaginable, from sex to violence to the end of the world. The result was a highly unruly, deeply influential set of films that would not only change filmmaking, but also give us our first glimpse of the coming twenty-first century. It was a watershed moment that also produced The Sopranos; Apple’s Airport; Wi-Fi; and Netflix’s unlimited DVD rentals.
Best. Movie. Year. Ever. is the story of not just how these movies were made, but how they re-made our own vision of the world. It features more than 130 new and exclusive interviews with such directors and actors as Reese Witherspoon, Edward Norton, Steven Soderbergh, Sofia Coppola, David Fincher, Nia Long, Matthew Broderick, Taye Diggs, M. Night Shyamalan, David O. Russell, James Van Der Beek, Kirsten Dunst, the Blair Witch kids, the Office Space dudes, the guy who played Jar-Jar Binks, and dozens more. It’s the definitive account of a culture-conquering movie year none of us saw coming…and that we may never see again. less Adnan VirkTremendous book with fantastic anecdotes. Chatting with @BrianRaftery 9-10 on @CinephilePod https://t.co/kZPsTcwBVM (Source)
Sonny BunchThe book is quite entertaining, btw. I highly recommend checking it out! https://t.co/IbIVGphqf4 (Source)
See more recommendations for this book...
2
Saint Vincent's Home for Boys, Brooklyn, early 1970s. For Lionel Essrog, a.k.a. The Human Freakshow, a victim of Tourette's syndrome (an uncontrollable urge to shout out nonsense, touch every surface in reach, rearrange objects), Frank Minna is a savior. A local tough guy and fixer, Minna shows up to take Lionel and three of his fellow orphans on mysterious errands: empty a store of stereos as the owner watches; destroy a small amusement park; go visit old Italian men.The four grow up to be the Minna Men, a fly-by-night detective agency-cum-limo service, and their days and nights revolve... more Saint Vincent's Home for Boys, Brooklyn, early 1970s. For Lionel Essrog, a.k.a. The Human Freakshow, a victim of Tourette's syndrome (an uncontrollable urge to shout out nonsense, touch every surface in reach, rearrange objects), Frank Minna is a savior. A local tough guy and fixer, Minna shows up to take Lionel and three of his fellow orphans on mysterious errands: empty a store of stereos as the owner watches; destroy a small amusement park; go visit old Italian men.The four grow up to be the Minna Men, a fly-by-night detective agency-cum-limo service, and their days and nights revolve around Frank, the prince of Brooklyn, who glides through life on street smarts, attitude, and secret knowledge. Then one dreadful night, Frank is knifed and thrown in a Dumpster, and Lionel must become a real detective.
As Lionel struggles to find Frank's killer -- and with his Tourette's -- he's forced to delve into the complex, shadowy web of relationships, threats, and favors that make up the Brooklyn world he thought he knew so well. No one -- not Frank, not Frank's bitter wife, Julia, not the other Minna Men -- is what they seem. Not even The Human Freakshow.
All the familiar Lethem touches are here -- crackling dialogue, sly humor, dizzying plot twists -- but they're secondary to wonderfully full, tragic, funny characterizations, and a dazzling evocation of place. Indeed Brooklyn, with its charming folkways and language, its unique style of bad-boy swagger and sentimentality, becomes itself a major character.
"Motherless Brooklyn" is a bravado performance: funny, tense, touching, extravagant. This novel's publication signals the coming-of-age of a major American writer. less Alan CooperI’m so excited! Edward Norton made a movie of Jonathan Lethem’s awesome book, Motherless Brooklyn. I can’t wait! (Source)
Adnan Virk@MzCSmith A great time Claire! Loved the book. Heard mixed reviews on the film although @TheAndyKatz also a fan (Source)
See more recommendations for this book...
3
From the
New York Times
baseball columnist, an enchanting, enthralling history of the national pastime as told through the craft of pitching, based on years of archival research and interviews with more than three hundred people from Hall of Famers to the stars of today
The baseball is an amazing plaything. We can grip it and hold it so many different ways, and even the slightest calibration can turn an ordinary pitch into a weapon to thwart the greatest hitters in the world. Each pitch has its own history, evolving through the... more
From the
New York Times
baseball columnist, an enchanting, enthralling history of the national pastime as told through the craft of pitching, based on years of archival research and interviews with more than three hundred people from Hall of Famers to the stars of today
The baseball is an amazing plaything. We can grip it and hold it so many different ways, and even the slightest calibration can turn an ordinary pitch into a weapon to thwart the greatest hitters in the world. Each pitch has its own history, evolving through the decades as the masters pass it down to the next generation. From the earliest days of the game, when Candy Cummings dreamed up the curveball while flinging clamshells on a Brooklyn beach, pitchers have never stopped innovating.
In K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches, Tyler Kepner traces the colorful stories and fascinating folklore behind the ten major pitches. Each chapter highlights a different pitch, from the blazing fastball to the fluttering knuckleball to the slippery spitball. Infusing every page with infectious passion for the game, Kepner brings readers inside the minds of combatants sixty feet, six inches apart.
Filled with priceless insights from many of the best pitchers in baseball history--from Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton, and Nolan Ryan to Greg Maddux, Mariano Rivera, and Clayton Kershaw--K will be the definitive book on pitching and join such works as The Glory of Their Times and Moneyball as a classic of the genre. less Adnan Virk“K: A history of baseball in 10 pitches” is a fascinating, absorbing book by @TylerKepner
The artistry of the curve, the funkiness of the knuckler, the deceit of the spitter...it’s even got Dennis Eckersley convincing the author he could throw a serious splitter! https://t.co/yy7IqnQIEI (Source)
See more recommendations for this book...
Don't have time to read Adnan Virk's favorite books? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.