Hungry Hungry Wyrm's Book Club: April's Discussion and May's Theme

May Gathering: Beltane & the Flower Moon

Welcome back, my friends. And a very happy Beltane and Flower Moon to you.

There’s something quietly powerful about these two arriving hand in hand—Beltane, a celebration of fire, fertility, and blooming life, paired with the Flower Moon, which marks the earth in full awakening. Together, they feel like a threshold: a moment where everything is beginning to open, stretch, and become.

And fittingly, this month holds a little extra magic for us…Two full moons. Two gatherings. Two chances to reflect.

We’ll meet again under the Blue Moon on 31 May—but first, let’s step back into April’s pages.

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A Gentle Spoiler Note

As always, this is a book club space—thoughts, reflections, and yes… a few secrets revealed. If you’d prefer to avoid spoilers, feel free to skip ahead to our next theme and return when you’re ready.

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April's Theme: Secrets Beneath the Surface

Whether you followed the theme or wandered where your reading mood led you, I hope your April held at least a hint of mystery.

I chose to read Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young—and found myself stepping into something a bit darker and more emotional than I expected.

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What secrets lie beneath the surface of this story?

This story felt like standing on shifting ground—layer upon layer of truths half-buried, waiting for the right moment to rise.

On the island of Saoirse, secrets aren’t just kept…they accumulate. They settle into the soil, into the relationships, into the very air the characters breathe. And eventually, they grow too heavy to remain hidden.

“Saoirse was finally digging up the things we’d buried.”

Every character carried something—grief, guilt, love, betrayal—and the story gently, and sometimes painfully, unearthed them all.

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Can you ever truly leave the past behind?

One of the questions that lingered most for me was whether starting over is ever truly a clean break.

This book suggests… not quite.

Leaving isn’t always simple. And even when you go, the past has a way of following—through memory, through consequence, through the quiet pull of unfinished things.

“If you left the island, it would always call you back.”

There was something haunting in that idea. The island itself felt alive—less a setting and more a presence. As though Saoirse chose who could stay, who could leave, and who would inevitably return.

Its magic wasn’t just something the characters used—it was something they were subject to.

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Final Thoughts

I had such a lovely time with this one—despite (or maybe because of) its heavier edges.

Some stories seem to shape themselves around where you read them, and this one followed me everywhere: on the way to a Cubs game, tucked into a hammock in the woods, sitting beside quiet, crackling fires.

I can read anywhere—but every now and then, a book finds its perfect setting. Or maybe… it helps create one.

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Looking Ahead: Blue Moon Gathering

Theme: Once in a Blue Moon (rare moments, second chances, midnight magic)

Our next gathering arrives on 31 May, under the Blue Moon—a time for the uncommon, the unexpected, and the quietly transformative.

Here are a few options to get you started:

• Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman – A lyrical blend of magic and mystery set in the Florida heat

• Once in a Blue Moon Lodge by Lorna Landvik – A cozy story of reconnection and serendipity

• Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan – A deeply emotional second-chance romance

• The Girl Who Drank the Moon  by Kelly Barnhill – A whimsical, magical YA tale of found family and power

  
  

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Questions to Help You Choose

• Are you in the mood for something magical… or something grounded in reality with just a hint of wonder?

• Do you want a story centered on love and relationships, or one driven by mystery and discovery?

• Are you craving something cozy and hopeful, or something that lingers a little longer in the shadows?

• What kind of “rare moment” are you drawn to right now—romance, transformation, or a life-altering twist?

And if none of these quite fit, follow your mood. Sometimes the right book finds you when you’re not looking too closely.

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A Little Invitation

If you’ve ever experienced a “once in a blue moon” moment—something rare, fleeting, or quietly life-changing—I would love to hear about it.

Stories aren’t just found in books, after all.

Until next time…the tea is steeping, and the book hoard awaits.

The Wyrm