good books part one

i had a great convo with one of my best friends about books a few days ago. in his honor i present a list of my favorite science fiction, fantasy and young adult books. i'll be posting these in little chunks, because writing these descriptions is a lot harder than i thought it would be! here's the first three.

The Starbridge Trilogy by Paul Park

One of the most intense, fascinating, and brilliant sci-fi series ever. No, really. These books sing to me. On a world where the seasons are so long that if you're born in spring you'll never see summer, the ruling Starbridge class tries to keep on top. But people get tired of priests when it's been winter for an entire generation. Highly recommended! These are out of print but you can find them used. The exact titles are The Soldiers of Paradise, Sugar Rain, and The Cult of Loving Kindness.

Perdido Street Station by China Mieville

Okay. This book basically defies description. I think it might be the best novel I've ever read. I actually don't want to tell you anything about it, because it deserves to be experienced in its entirety. Even explaining the plot (or trying to) would be spoiling it a little. So just go read it.

Dune by Frank Herbert

A classic of the speculative science fiction genre. Fiercely political, complex and dark. I've read it so many times and there is still so much there. Also a classic coming of age story. It sucks to be a teenager - especially when you're the messiah. Um, but avoid the movie at all costs - at least until after you've read the book.