Unpopular opinion: I was ruining book club for 2 years by doing the reading too early
So I've been in the same book club since 2022, we meet at a coffee shop in Albany every other Tuesday, and last month a newer member named Priya finally said something that stung. She asked why my takes always felt like book reports and not real reactions. I sat there for a second and it hit me, she was right. Turns out I was finishing the book the week we picked it, like 3 weeks early, so by the time we actually sat down to hash it out I had already moved on and had nothing fresh to say. All those nights I thought I was being a good member for staying ahead were actually killing the whole point, which is the argument we have about the ending and the stuff I forgot I even felt on page 40. I started waiting until the weekend before we meet to read, and honestly the talks are way better now, I actually get fired up about the characters again. Priya apologized for how she said it but I told her no, you saved me from being the boring one forever. Does anyone else read way ahead and then blank out at the meeting, or am I the only one who does this?