Steering Small Talk Toward Deeper Conversations

Does anyone else find it tricky to keep small talk going when you’d rather jump right into discussing your favorite films or books? I often feel like I’m just going through the motions with weather or weekend plans, when what I really want is to hear someone’s thoughts on a recent novel or a classic movie. How do you smoothly transition from surface-level topics to more meaningful ones without catching people off guard? I’d love to hear your tips or experiences with this!