Jeffrey Cook

Bruce Goff is one of the most provocative architects of the twentieth century - yet his work is not sufficiently known. An early advocate of Frank Lloyd Wright's ideas on architecture, Goff quickly developed a more pluralistic approach in which each building was regarded as unique. Building his reputation on a series of unconventional house designs, Goff came to express an extraordinary range of interests. His scope is shown by a comparison of the stunning crystalline roof of the Religious Center at the University of Oklahoma and the economic use of standard I-beams in the famous "dream house" at Aurora. Goff's theatrical contribution to architecture through his use of color is evidenced by his own paintings and his decorative, architectural ornamentation. By synthesizing his personal development and architectural achievements, this book makes an important contribution to the appraisal of Goff's work.… (más)

Book Review ~ First Light
Author: Jeffrey Cook
By Carol Ann King
Rating 4 stars

Steampunk - A term I have heard in many circles, but never actually given any thought to. When Jeffrey Cook provided me with a free eBook copy of First Light in exchange for an honest review, I couldn't refuse. Expanding knowledge is what reading is about so I forged forward. I decided to look up what I was getting into before starting to read. As it turns out, I was way over-my-head and outside my norm for reading choices.

In a nutshell, steampunk is a subcategory of the science fiction genre, but rather than being based on future technology, it is based on 19th century industrial steam-powered machinery. First Light is also historical fiction.

The story takes place in 1815 just after the Napoleonic War. A gentleman's bet between wealthy englishmen sets afoot a plot of exploration. The end game - to prove if information contained in a series of writings by Dr. Bowe are fact or fiction. First Light is the beginning of this journey and introduces readers to the characters who are brought together to be the crew, some of whom are quite unusual. Journals and letters are used to chronicle the events aboard an airship as it sets out to follow Dr. Bowe's path around the world.

I found there were a few slow places in the novel, but not dry enough to make me put the book down.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and a good way to enter into the steampunk genre. My concerns about being overwhelmed were quickly dismissed. I look forward to reading the rest of the adventures.

Rating 4 out of 5 stars. Recommended read for anyone looking to try the steampunk genre.
… (más)

Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over

This book throws you in at the deep end of a surreal world until you’re not sure what’s real and what are hallucinations thanks to the main character having some form of an attention disorder. We are first introduced to Megan through her pill regime and her best friend’s concerns about the side effects. We can see the deadening of her personality ourselves, even though we just met her.

That’s not where things get strange, however. No, it’s Lani, her BFF, who gives us the hint things are more complex than it appears when she goes off and talks to a pixie.

Turns out the fantastical elements are not hallucinations at all, which is the start of a wild adventure through human and faerie lands. They are trying to rescue the father who left Megan when she was only two years old. Before you think he’s a human caught up in a fae game, though, we quickly learn he’s the king of the unseelie and the crisis is more than only court politics.

This is a personal story of a band of unlikely friends (Megan and Lani pick up a few on the way) going on an adventure to save the world. The characters are well described by both action and narrative, coming alive in distinct ways. They represent a few cultures, human and not, as well as gender politics and abilities. But before you think this is a politically charged book, one aspect I enjoyed was how their differences came up in context and were normalized even when, for example, a satyress had to explain what pansexual meant to Megan. Humor is also used to make the characters come alive, especially in demonstrating the strength of Megan and Lani’s friendship, a tough task considering Lani has hidden the truth from Megan the whole time they knew each other because of Restrictions.

Beyond the strong characterizations, the world is grounded in the personal backstory of Megan’s mother and Celtic myth, along with mention of other beings connected to different cultures as well. Lani is half menehune, a Hawaiian fae with magic that reminds me of steampunkesque engineering. The fate of both worlds, fae and human, rests on the transfer of power between the sidhe and unseelie (only one of many critical balancing transfers) as the book draws on more than just names from the mythologies. The story also reveals the weight of promises and debts for the fae while hinting at the vast differences between the various types in everything from skills to eating habits.

There are many aspects I enjoyed from the occasional moments of philosophy to the creative solutions to traditional fantasy challenges. Several drawn out battles full of enthusiasm and chaos offer fast-paced action sequences. The backstory is so rich it sometimes felt I had jumped into the middle instead of book one. Then there’s how some traits in the fae mirrored ones from our world, like the brownies who want to work in the background and struggle under the weight of being noticed.

Speaking of creativity, I loved how it was valued by the teens and parents/teachers alike, as well as how it tied into magic. One caution, though. To let Megan reengage with the fantastic, she stops taking the latest pills added to her regime and later ends up in the fae lands with no medication. She is largely more functional on that side of the portal, a common motif but a little sad considering the strength of her portrayal in the beginning. They keep Megan’s mother in the dark about all of this until I still don’t know if she was aware of just who or what Megan’s father was.

The writing style is a bit rough in places, but not enough to hinder my read, and the book ends on a solid note. The end is seeded, so I suspected something coming, but still didn’t anticipate the details. I can’t say more to avoid spoilers, but I really appreciated the layers revealed in the events after the climax.

There’s so much more I marked as worthy of including in the review, but it can’t all fit without making this too chaotic to follow. Bottom line, I enjoyed this tween novel. It is written in a similar style to Tamora Pierce’s Alanna books, and for a similar age group or reading inclination. This would work well in the hopepunk category because it lacks the despair and gruesome nature of much of the young adult novels targeting older teens. The main characters are sixteen but read younger because of their sense of wonder and willingness to believe.… (más)