] Btw, while we are discussing chapters 1-8 this week, shouldn't we also be reading chapters 9-15 so that we would be ready for the discussion next week?

Yes, so that you are ready to start talking about ch. 9-15 starting Sunday. This can be hard, because you find things in the new chapters which you want to talk about, or will bolster arguments you are making for this week's discussions and it's hard to refrain. But so far, everyone is being Very Good. ;-)