Sunbird

You'll find that there are lots of Utahns here on the Shard. There's even a BYU Cosmere Club that meets on campus once a month. And yes, I am so thrilled with the springy weather! The birds were singing up a storm this morning, and it made me very happy.

Spring has sprung in Utah! Took lots of macro shots of flowers today. I've divided them up into 3 groups for viewing convenience. Group 1 (4 photos): Group 2 (4 photos): Group 3 (3 photos):

Ok then. I think let's tentatively plan for Thursday April 19th, and we'll hope that @Slowswift' s schedule works out.

@Wordsmith Yes, I've been reading the Shattered Realms! Just picked up Stormcaster earlier this week and am super hyped about it.

I second the recommendations for Ranger's Apprentice, Powdermage, Ready Player One (I wouldn't call it a favorite, but it's good), and Beyonders. Brandon Mull's Fablehaven series is also fantastic and one of my all-time favorites. It's about a pair of siblings who discover that their grandparents run a secret wildlife preserve for magical creatures. And if you liked Lockwood & Co., you would probably enjoy Jonathan Stroud's other series the Bartimaeus Trilogy if you haven't read it already. I swear, Bartimaeus is one of the funniest, snarkiest narrators I've ever read, right up there with Alcatraz Smedry. If you enjoy steampunk or alternate history, you might try Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. It's a trilogy that takes place during what was, in real life, World War I, but obviously since it's alternate history things don't happen the same way. I have tons of "favorite" books, but I'll just add one more to this post since you probably don't want me to list off half my bookshelf... Jackaby by William Ritter is amazing. It feels a little like Sherlock Holmes in that the story follows a Victorian-era detective (Jackaby) and is told by his companion the narrator (Abigail), but the things they investigate are all magical in nature. It's a 4-book series, all complete now.

YASSSSSSS Falling Kingdoms is fantastic! Just recently got my hands on a Kindle copy of Immortal Reign and am very excited to start reading it. Yay, another fan! Although FYI, Eli Monpress is a 5-book series, not a trilogy. (A quintology? )

So it's sounding like more people would be able to make it on a Thursday night than any other. Should we plan for the 19th then, at 8pm or 8:30? @Slowswift Do you know if you'll also be available that Thursday in addition to this Thursday?

Ooh I just thought of another series you might like. "Sands" by Kevin L. Nielsen is the first in a series (3 books so far, not sure if there are more planned) that takes place in a fantasy desert. The MC is female and totally badchull. Lots of epic magic and awesome creatures.

@Steeldancer a commemorative screenshot for you:

@SphereLight Welcome to the Shard! Joining the site is definitely good news.

I second @AonEne's recommendation of the Eli Monpress series! Absolutely fantastic.

Ok so I won't be able to do this Saturday (tomorrow) since I'm moving (will still be in Orem/Provo, though), but Tuesday or Thursday this week would work great, I think, as long as it is in the evening.

I'm very fond of the Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima. Four books, first one's called The Demon King. The series has 2 MCs, one male and one female, and lots of awesome magic.

Moar random nature trivia! 4. Experiments have shown that while dung beetles don't see particularly well, they can see the Milky Way in the night sky and use it to navigate when the Moon is not visible. 5. The Sidewinder, a rattlesnake that lives in the desert, uses its characteristic sidewinding motion to move quickly across the scorching sand while keeping most of its body from touching the ground. 6. Although the bite of a Komodo Dragon is not venomous, most people who get bitten still die from the deadly bacteria in the dragon's saliva. 7. The pattern of stripes on a Monarch caterpillar is unique to the individual, like a person's fingerprint.

... Am I misinterpreting this exchange, or are you two competing in the same writing competition?

Taking a page out of Mad-eye Moody's book, I see. "Constant vigilance!!"

When the library you work at has a caption contest and you can't resist submitting a joke about reading Brandon Sanderson when you're supposed to be studying.

BAHAHAHAHA I fell for that! Good one.

You're correct. Capital punishment is the death penalty; corporal punishment is physical punishment like spanking.

Happy Easter, Happy Passover, and Happy April Fool's, y'all! Had a fabulous day of birding on Saturday and got some new photos. Crocuses blooming (2 photos): European Starling (1 photo): American Avocets (2 photos):

@little wilson A Saturday evening would work well for me.

Hey guys! I have a coupon for 50% off any Domino's pizzas that we should totally use for our next meeting. Let's talk some more about when works for all of us.

@Quickbronze Your Fablehaven descriptions are fantastic! I LOL'd so hard.

31. If you don't find a body, THEY'RE NOT DEAD. This is doubly true when it was your worst enemy that went off a cliff and appeared to die. TRIPLY true if someone says, "There's no way they could have survived that."