Picked the slow read over the popular pick, group nearly split in two

Our Chicago group was torn between a fast paced thriller everyone wanted and this dense history book about the 1968 riots. I pushed for the history one because it felt more relevant to what's happening now. Three members almost quit after the first 50 pages, said it was too dry. But by the end, two of them admitted it sparked the best argument we've had in 2 years. Have you ever forced a harder option just to see if it improves the discussion?

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blake_smith16d ago

Actually that's not quite right about it being relevant to today, I mean the 68 riots had totally different triggers than what we're seeing now. The police response and the media coverage were way different too, plus there was a whole war going on that people were pissed about. I get the urge to draw parallels but it kind of oversimplifies both eras when you do that. Still, I'm glad you pushed it through because that kind of messy argument is exactly what makes a group read worth it, even if half the room wanted to strangle you at page 40 lol.