TIL my book club spent 40 minutes arguing about whether the author's note in the back of a novel counts as part of the book | Book Club Debates - Free To Speak
The author's note is not part of the story, it's the author talking about the story. That's a different thing. If we count the note then we have to count the cover, the copyright page, and the little ad for the sequel in the back too. Forty minutes is a long time to argue about something with a pretty clear answer.