Book Club Season 5
Wow! Season 5
Its our wooden anniversary, and what a list we have this season.
The Appendix Lit Season 5 list is probably one of the most genre diverse season this book club has had yet. From classic fantasy, to cyberpunk, to mysteries, and a space opera to kick us off, we are confident our book list will have something to inspire you in your game’s setting.
Also, something different this season, we have three short novels selected. Because these usually take less time, we’ve listed three possible bonus novels to fill the month. If you finish them, great – if not, that’s okay too.
The dates listed with each book is its discussion date. Meeting time is usually 6:30 pm (1830) Pacific on the third Friday evening of each month, though we acknowledge life happens and dates have been changed to accommodate as best we can. We encourage you to join the discussion, even if you were not able to finish the entire book that month.
The Appendix Lit book club home page has discussion question guide and a link to join the Discord chat—just let us know you’re there for the club!
Send me an email if you want to be added to the google calendar you see below.
Enjoy reading and see you in the Discord!
* The GM Tim is Canadian and has managed to never spend money at Amazon, all links are to a Canadian bookstore chain. If you are in the US I recommend Powell’s Books or your local indie bookstore or library.
August. You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo
September 19, 2025
Farscape meets The Great British Bake Off.
TwiceFar station is at the edge of the known universe, and that’s just how Niko Larson, former Admiral in the Grand Military of the Hive Mind, likes it. Niko and the remnants of her former unit are content to spend the rest of their days working at the restaurant they built together, The Last Chance.
September. Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
With winter looming, a small northern Anishinaabe community goes dark. Cut off, people become passive and confused. Panic builds as the food supply dwindles. While the band council and a pocket of community members struggle to maintain order, an unexpected visitor arrives, escaping the crumbling society to the south.
September (bonus). Foundation by Isaac Asimov
October 17, 2025
For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future—to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save humankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire to a bleak planet at the edge of the galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for future generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation.
October. The City of Dusk by Tara Sim
DARKNESS FALLS. GODS RISE. The Four Realms—Life, Death, Light, and Darkness—all converge on the City of Dusk. For each realm there is a god, and for each god there is an heir. But the gods have withdrawn their favor from the once vibrant and thriving metropolis. And without it, all the realms are dying.
November. Rough Trade by Katrina Carrasco
December 19, 2025
When two local men end up dead, all signs point to the opium trade. A botched effort to disappear the bodies draws the attention of lawmen, and although Alma Rosales scrambles to keep them away from her operation, she’s distracted by the surprise appearance of Bess Spencer—an ex-Pinkerton agent and Alma’s first love—after years of silence.
December. In The Watchful City by S. Qiouyi Lu
January 16, 2026
The city of Ora is watching. Anima is an extrasensory human tasked with surveilling and protecting Ora’s citizens via a complex living network called the Gleaming. Although ær world is restricted to what æ can see and experience through the Gleaming, Anima takes pride and comfort in keeping Ora safe from harm.
December (bonus). Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee
January 16, 2026
Ester’s family was torn apart when a manticore killed her mother and baby brother, leaving her with nothing but her father’s painful silence and a single, overwhelming need to kill the monsters that took her family.
January. Rogue Community College by David R. Slayton
February 20, 2026
Isaac Frost is an assassin. Raised in the Graveyard of the cruel and mysterious Undertaker, he has mastered the deadly art of the knife and the skill of survival, together with scores of others just like him—young men taken from their families to become the most infamous killers throughout the realms of elves and humans.
February. Infomocracy by Malka Older
March 20, 2026
It’s been twenty years and two election cycles since Information, a powerful search engine monopoly, pioneered the switch from warring nation-states to global micro-democracy. The corporate coalition party Heritage has won the last two elections. With another election on the horizon, the Supermajority is in tight contention, and everything’s on the line.
March. Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.
April. Ocean's Godori by Elaine U. Cho
May 15, 2026
Ocean Yoon has never felt very Korean, even if she is descended from a long line of haenyeo, Jeju Island’s beloved female divers. When her best friend, Teo, second son of the Anand Tech empire, is framed for murdering his family, Ocean and her misfit crewmates are pushed to the forefront of a high-stakes ideological conflict. But dodging bullets and winning space chases may be the easiest part of what comes next.
May. Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
As a warrior in the elven army, Yeeran has known nothing but violence her whole life. Her sister, Lettle, is trying to make a living as a diviner, seeking prophecies of a better future. When a fatal mistake leads to Yeeran’s exile from the Elven Lands, both sisters are forced into the terrifying wilderness beyond their borders.
June. Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk
A magical detective dives into the affairs of Chicago’s divine monsters to secure a future with the love of her life. This sapphic period piece will dazzle anyone looking for mystery, intrigue, romance, magic, or all of the above.
June (bonus). The Keeper's Six by Kate Elliott
July 17, 2026
It’s been a year since Esther set foot in the Beyond, the alien landscape stretching between worlds, crossing boundaries of space and time. But when she wakes in the middle of the night to her grown son’s cry for help, the members of her Hex are the only ones she can trust to help her bring him back from wherever he has been taken.
July. Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
Shizuka Satomi made a deal with the devil: to escape damnation, she must entice seven other violin prodigies to trade their souls for success. But then Shizuka meets Lan Tran, retired starship captain, interstellar refugee, and mother of four. Shizuka doesn’t have time for crushes or coffee dates, what with her very soul on the line, but Lan’s kind smile and eyes like stars might just redefine a soul’s worth.
Appendix Lit Google Calendar
Appendix Lit Google Calendar