If the documents are to be printed as separate books, it doesn't make sense to use a book file. The book file is mainly to link separate documents into one large "document".
You can still sync settings by using the "Load" settings. Shown below are the paragraph/character styles, parent pages, and TOC styles. NOTE: style/settings MUST have the same name (but that's true with a book file too).
IF you do want a book to sync settings, make SURE you disable auto numbering and insert blank pages BEFORE inserting any files. My settings do depend on each file starting on an odd (right/recto) page.
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