Club not conducted by the book

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have been part of a monthly book club for the past five years. We all get along well, but it has been a growing problem that some people do not regularly read the books. The personal chitchat at the beginning of each meeting seems to grow longer each month, and those who don’t read the selections are quick to divert the group’s attention to other topics. Sometimes we hardly discuss the book at all.

I don’t want to be a disciplinarian, but I also don’t want us to forget why we formed the group in the first place. What should I do?

Gentle Reader…