hello beach,
connecting with others has been and is the mainstay of my sobriety. nothing shameful about that. i find it a relief to be with people who "get it".
it's great to see you reaching out and making plans for your sober journey.
if you find AA meetings depressing, could be that a different meeting will bring you a different message. took me a long time to find some where people focused on their solution instead of their problems only.
yes: going to bed with book and tea is perfect.