Paid $35 for the hardcover of our pick instead of waiting on the library hold, and now half the group thinks I cheated

Patricia Black · 2026-10-13T21:25:06.20368+00:00

Our group in Columbus picked a 600 page novel for March and the library hold list was 11 people deep, so I just bought the hardcover for $35 at a store on High Street. I finished it in 9 days and brought a list of talking points to the meeting, mostly about the ending and one chapter near the middle. Two people got weird about it, saying buying the book skips the "shared struggle" and that waiting on the hold is part of the deal. One of them flat out asked if I "read it too fast to really get it." I get that not everyone can drop $35 on a book, and I felt bad showing up with a shiny copy while others passed around a beat up paperback. So is there an unwritten rule that we all wait for the library together, or is reading early fair game? How do your groups handle it when someone finishes way ahead of the pack?

The Community Guide

Loading…

Paid $35 for the hardcover of our pick instead of waiting on the library hold, and now half the group thinks I cheated | Book Club Debates - The Community Guide