To think if you are in a book club you should read the book?

[BookClubGrinch]

Joined a book club through a friend. We meet at a village hall and the books are provided each month in the village by a company. I don't know most of the people there so thought it would be more of a "proper" book club (I don't know what I mean by that but I guess not just an excuse to drink wine).

I am finding every week at least 50% have not read or finished the book so either don't want to talk about it or shoot down other people's thoughts on the book despite not actually having a clue. Others simply don't turn up. So mostly the discussion is just random tv programmes.

I am all for general relaxed talking and snacking as well as talking about the book - but I kind of feel like - what's the point of hanging out with people you don't really know if you have not read the book? Is this what book clubs are like?

My book group was set up by a friend, rather than a public group.
There are about 10 of us, and we meet every other month, and it's rare that anyone hasn't read the book. There were a few other people who attended at the beginning, but dropped out when it became clear that this was the expectation. Among the current group, usually not reading the book would be because of an illness or life-stress, so the social element of meeting is particularly important at these times and we encourage each other to attend anyway. It would be different if someone just wasn't generally interested in reading.
We always talk about the book, and would definitely consider it unreasonable for someone to come to book club and then not want others to talk about it.

I hope you can find a book club that suits you better.

My book group was set up by someone who had recently moved into the area. We used to take it in turns to choose a book, but the organiser now keeps overriding various people's choices and by now most members won't suggest a book and the book we get to read has invariably been chosen by the organiser.

The group seems to have turned into the organiser's vanity project, but I still enjoy going because everyone is lovely.