The 2026 Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag

The halfway mark is here. 2026 is going by fast. While this year had its ups and downs, I'm still sad to see it go. I do think the fall season holds better things for me, though. Like hope, cooler weather, a few new releases coming out that I'm anticipating, and a couple of other good things that I can't think of on the spot but that I know just make autumn the better time of year overall. But anyway, the year being halfway over also means it’s time for the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag.

This tag was created years ago by someone in the book community to basically wrap up the first half of a person's reading year. I’ve actually had a great reading year so far, as of June 20, when I'm writing this post. I've reached my 2026 reading goal. I'm hoping I can double my numbers by the end of the year, however, I'm not changing my Reading Challenge goal on Goodreads. I don't want the pressure.

As of June 20, I’ve read 48 books! That's 14 more than last year's Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag. And, I'm thinking I might be able to read two more before the end of the month, getting me on track to reading 50 in the first half of 2026. That will make reading 50 in the latter half of the year entirely possible, which means I could reach 100 books for the first time since college. Wow!

BEST BOOK YOU’VE READ SO FAR IN 2026

This was a tough question to answer. While I've read some really great books, I'm on the fence of whether or not I've found one to obsess over like I usually do around this time each year. BUT, I will say, the book I chose, Captive Traitor King by Brigid Kemmerer, is fantastic! It's the sequel to Warrior Princess Assassin, and it has a polyamorous MMF relationship between an assassin, a king, and a princess. I found the second installment to be just as addicting as the first. I'm sad that I have to wait for book three, especially since I read a NetGalley copy and now I have to wait even longer.

 

BEST SEQUEL YOU’VE READ SO FAR

Well, funnily enough, the answer to this question is very similar to last year's. I had the Beasts of the Briar series by Elizabeth Helen listed. Since the books are now releasing at a slower pace, I just have one book to share this time. Frozen by Stardust is the fifth book in the series, and I am super excited for books six and seven, which are releasing super soon. I think book six comes out in July.

NEW RELEASE YOU HAVEN’T READ YET, BUT WANT TO

I think I've read most of the new releases that are top on my priorities list. There are a few that aren't quite at the top that got pushed to the side, though. Half City by Kate Golden is a book I've heard fantastic things about, and I own a gorgeous edition (featured below). It's been compared to Buffy and Supernatural, which sounds amazing! Some others I need to get to include This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, Starside by Alex Aster, and The Crown of War and Shadow by J.R. Ward.

MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE FOR

THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR

The second half of 2026 is actually kind of meh compared to the first half. Yes, there are books I'm excited for, but now that I've read two of the ones I was really looking forward to, there isn't a lot that I'm foaming at the mouth to get my hands on. The only big ones are the next two books in the Beasts of the Briar series. Which, to be fair, I am very, very excited about. I'm also dreading the series coming to an end. It's sad to think about. The only other two books that are close to the level of excitement of these two include The Knave and the Moon by Rachel Gillig and Defy the Dusk by Danielle L. Jensen.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Now, this wasn't really a difficult answer at all, sadly. Sarah Glenn Marsh's Our Rogue Fates was blurbed by Sean Astin. Yeah, that's right, Samwise Gamgee. That's crazy! So, once I heard that, I really wanted to read it. Plus, the description sounded like a lot of fun. But, the book did not live up to my expectations. There were some really questionable decisions made by the main characters and the writing overall just wasn't for me.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas was my biggest disappointment in last year's Mid-Year Book Freakout, so you can imagine my surprise when I went into Bonds of Hercules trying to be cautiously optimistic even though I'd heard some things that alarmed me. However, when I finally got into this, it was great. It read super easy, the characters were fun, and I'm now actually anticipating the spinoff. I think lowering my expectations from the first book really helped. Plus, the hype for book one was a little overwhelming last year.

FAVORITE NEW AUTHOR

It's kind of crazy that I haven't talked about Melissa K. Roehrich yet. I spent an entire four weeks binge-reading her books. Well, six of her books. I read the first two installments of the Legacy series, realized I needed to read the Lady of Darkness series so I wouldn't be spoiled, and then devoured all five of those plus a couple of novellas. I haven't yet gone back to finish the Legacy series. Not because I don't want to, but because I have found it difficult to pick up the ebook versions for some reason, so I'm trying to wait on my preordered special Aurora Crate editions to ship. We'll see how much longer I can hold off. Her books are definitely for fans of the larger, more epic romantasy worlds, like Throne of Glass, ACOTAR, From Blood and Ash, and Fourth Wing.

NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH

This was a tough question. I have a few characters that come to mind, but I think Patroclus and Achilles from Jasmine Mas's Bonds of Hercules are a solid answer. They were the stars of the book, in my opinion. Now, if you'd asked me this after reading Blood of Hercules, I would've said heck no, but something changed in the sequel. I adored them. One of my other choices would have been Cain Hawthorne from Soul Sworn by Kate Dylan (out in November) and Callum from The Wolf King by Lauren Palphreyman. Honestly, The Wolf King would have been the answer to some of these tag questions, but I just know the author is going to pull a Tamlin-Rhysand situation, which I LOATHE, so I'm not getting my hopes up.

NEWEST FAVORITE CHARACTER

I used the UK paperback edition of Warrior Princess Assassin for this answer, as there isn't a ton of fan art of this character. I'm also cheating a little bit since I read this book last year. However, I did read the the second book recently, so it counts, right? Anyway, Asher is my newest favorite character. I just feel so bad for the poor boy and want him to be snuggled in blankets with chocolate and kittens and puppies and all things good to make him happy. Is that too much to ask, Brigid Kemmerer? Ugh. Let him be happy! 

BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY

  I don't remember crying very much for any book I've read so far this year, but, there was one. Just one that I specifically remember crying during. And I hated that I was crying about it because the book made me very upset, and not in a good way. If you've read this, you'll know what I'm talking about. I have honestly never read something like this in a MFM duology. I never want to read something like it again. I also don't think I'll ever be able to trust this author ever again. Needless to say, I unhauled this duology. Waste of my time.

BOOK THAT MADE YOU HAPPY

I think the Game Changers series by Rachel Reid made a lot of people happy in December/January. I watched the show in December, but read the books in January and February. While I enjoyed the other five books, Heated Rivalry was my favorite. I still can't believe I hadn't read this book before the show aired. I had a huge MM hockey romance period back in 2024. I honestly think the first book, which is between a barista-esque guy and a hockey player, threw me off from reading the series. I don't like the baker/barista/bartender/anything-to-do-with-food-services trope in my romance books. It's a very niche turnoff. Lol.

FAVORITE BOOK ADAPTATION

YOU SAW THIS YEAR

I would have put Heated Rivalry on here, but technically, I watched that last year. The very last episode of the first season aired on Christmas day. I don't have an end-of-year freakout post, so it seems a shame not to mention it here. I will say, though, that Project Hail Mary was a good adaptation of Andy Weir's book. I had a couple of criticisms, but I could see myself rewatching this movie frequently. I already rewatch The Martian, Weir's other book, fairly often, so it wouldn't surprise me.

FAVORITE REVIEW YOU’VE WRITTEN THIS YEAR

I think my actual favorite review that I've written so far this year won't go live until November. (Spoilers: It's for Soul Sworn by Kate Dylan.) However, if we're just looking at the first six months of 2026, I'll go with Dhampira by Amy Pennza. This was a very fun, atmospheric, gothic vampire romantasy. I even decided to read Amy Pennza's backlist as well as her current release because I enjoyed it so much. So far, I've only read Dhampira and Wolfseeker, but I'll get to the others soon.

 

You can read my review of Dhampira here.

MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK YOU’VE

RECEIVED SO FAR THIS YEAR

 There were three books that stood out to me for answering this question. The one pictured is the FairyLoot edition of Half City by Kate Golden, which is gorgeous! I'm usually not much of a red/black lover for my book designs, but something about this one just has me in a chokehold. And the endpaper art is beautiful as well! I still need to read it, but I've heard good things. The second book is also a FairyLoot edition. King of Ravens by Clare Sager is a beautiful book as well. And the third one is Charissa Weaks's blue author edition of The Witch Collector. It has character art on it and is so very pretty. I wasn't expecting it to be that pretty. I have photos in my previous Stacking the Shelves posts, if you're interesting in checking the covers out.

WHAT BOOKS DO YOU NEED TO READ

BY THE END OF THE YEAR

As I said last year, everything on my never-ending TBR! My biggest ops at the moment, though, include:

To Cage a Wild Bird by Brooke Fast

Starside by Alex Aster

Lore by Alexandra Bracken

This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara

The Empire of the Vampire trilogy by Jay Kristoff

The Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole 

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

These are the books I want to have completed by the end of the year. Will that happen? Unlikely. Some of them are things I'm in the mood for right now, but that may change a couple of months down the line. As long as I'm continuing to make progress on my physical TBR, I'll be satisfied.

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Alright, there you have it. My Mid-Year Book Freak Out answers for 2026. What would your answers to these questions be? Let me know in the comments below!

Stacking the Shelves: The Large Pin Edition

 "Stacking the Shelves" is a weekly haul meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality. It allows book buyers to share their accumulation of books with the online book-loving community.

This week was not fun. I'm mentally prepping for a trip while feeling blugh, and I got more work piled on to my massive to-do list when I thought I was going to have a more simplistic week. Someone needs to come and tell me that I can't run away from everything if I want to keep buying books, because I feel like running away would help my mental health by like at least 25%.

As for the books I received this week, they do help with my mental health. Well, two of them didn't, but that wasn't their fault. It was the posts office's fault. I've been having my packages put on hold due to bugs on my front porch area. Nothing uber gross, just ants and small things that don't mix well with paper material like books. Well, anyway. I went to the post office to pick up my Barnes & Noble deliveries of The Inadequate Heir by Danielle Jensen and The Fall by Ryan Cahill, and the clerk guy said they were out for delivery. Well, he was wrong because I watched my delivery driver drive right on by as I was cleaning out my car later. I had to go back and pick the orders up the next day. Boo for wasting my time, USPS. The deluxe The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe edition and Dhampira by Amy Pennza were also from B&N. The Dungeon Crawler Carl book was from my local used bookstore. I figured it was time to see what the hype is all about.

 

 

Here, I have another preorder incentive that I completely forgot about. Tara Sim's The Dawn Throne print and stickers arrived in my mailbox with very little warning. I didn't see it on the Informed Delivery site. Also, I don't remember the character art looking so mean. Lol. I really need to re-read book one in this series, The City of Dusk, so I can get to the two sequels and then the last book that releases this fall. The other items in this pic came with a Mercari order. I purchased a Blood and Ash pin of Poppy and Cas when Mercari was having their monthly 10% off sale. I'd been eyeing this one for a while, and I figured it was time. It's huge! And heavy! I wasn't expecting that. The seller sent some stickers too.

 

As for the ebooks, I have two that were purchased/gifted. Well, one was purchased, and the other was gifted. What Darkness Brings by Jenna Wolfhart was on sale for $0.99, so I downloaded it. I just know I'm not going to be able to get to it before my cheap Kindle Unlimited trial expires, so I figured $0.99 isn't too bad. I also made a big error and requested and was approved for Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher on NetGalley. Now, that's not really the problem. The problem is, I didn't realize it was book two in a series. I think it's actually more of a spinoff, but I'm not sure. So now I have to either go into this one blind or get book one so I can read them both. Ugh. Such a rookie mistake. The covers of the first book and this one are just too similar, though. I didn't realize they weren't the same story. 

Well, that's all for me. What books have you bought/received lately?

Review: Nemesis Mine by Amy Archer

Nemesis Mine

Amy Archer

Publication Date: June 23, 2026

Paperback, 432 pages, Harper Voyager

Genres: Adult, Romantasy, LGBTQ+

Goodreads

A long-lost noble of the ruthless vampire court discovers she might not need to choose between her two suitors in this blood-pounding new romantasy from the USA Today bestselling author of the Bitten and Bound series.

 

A not-so-evil villain strikes a deal with a not-quite-perfect hero to fake a feud, boost their reputations . . . and try not to fall in love in the process—in this hilarious, tender, sexy, and outrageously fun romp that blends the humor of Assistant to the Villain with the unforgettable romance of Red, White, & Royal Blue and the cozy fantasy vibes of Legends & Lattes.

 

Fake nemeses. It’s a dastardly plan that can’t go wrong… until love crashes the act.

 

Nobody is more surprised than Cyrus to learn that he’s no longer considered the greatest villain in the land of Athaca. Sure, he’s lying about the fact that his magical power is making flowers grow. And maybe lately he’s spent more time embroidering pillowcases than tormenting the locals. But that doesn’t mean he’s ready to be yesterday’s evil news.

 

Enter the hero Maximillian: the realm’s golden boy, complete with a blinding smile, chiseled abs, and an infuriating habit of spreading hope and joy. (Gross.) If Cyrus wants to be taken seriously, he’ll have to take this guy down.

 

But Maximillian isn’t quite as perfect as he seems. When he proposes a scheme to fake an epic rivalry and increase their fame, Cyrus can’t resist. Stage the battles, soak up the spotlight, share the spoils—it’s a villainously good marketing plan.

 

There’s just one hitch. Pretending to hate your nemesis becomes a lot harder when you start falling for them instead.

My Review

Nemesis Mine is a very cute, easy, fun read. It reminded me a lot of Nimona the graphic novel mixed with Vicious by V.E. Schwab, but with more kissing. Thank goodness. Honestly, this book is kind of a perfect beach read for romantasy readers who don't pick up contemporary romances. You could easily zip through Nemesis Mine in a few hours while lounging near the ocean.

The main character, Cyrus, is an evil wrongdoer. As the villain of the story, it's his job to essentially inconvenience everyone as they go about their everyday lives. I honestly laughed out loud at some of Cyrus's crazy antics. Like stealing a horse and naming her Soulripper. And his sprite "friends" were adorable. Cyrus tries so hard to be bad, but his pink pajamas and sprite companions would beg to differ.

Like Cyrus and his villainy, Maximillian, the hero of the story, is not quite as heroic as he seems, since he decides to come up with a fake plan for his own benefit. Together, Cyrus and Maximillian become enemies to reluctant allies to maybe lovers all in the span of one quick read.

While there have been a handful of superhero/villain stories lately, I don't recall any that have taken place in a fantasy world that have revolved around fake schemes crafted by the two main characters, so Nemesis Mine does seem fairly unique. My only criticism of the overall story the author created is that things were a bit too predictable towards the end. I wanted a touch more drama and danger. The same could be said for a couple of the arguments as well. I expected Cyrus to cause some major chaos when certain events came to light, but he kept things pretty mellow. Seeing him truly angry could have been hilarious, though. (Says the reader who doesn't have to be around his crazy retaliatory schemes.)

All in all, I had a fun time with this one. It's a book that doesn't take itself too seriously and could be a great palette cleanser between larger epic fantasy/romantasy series. You can digest this book in a single sitting. I think I ended up reading the entire thing in 48 hours, which is rare for me these days. If you're a fan of the more campy fantasy tales, you should totally pick up Nemesis Mine.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Stacking the Shelves: The Mysterious UPS Package Edition

 "Stacking the Shelves" is a weekly haul meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality. It allows book buyers to share their accumulation of books with the online book-loving community.

This week has gone by fast! I'm so ready for the weekend though. I have plans to clean, read, organize closets, and sleep. Not necessarily in that order. Reading in general has been kind of slow still, but I have a couple of books I'm making my way through that I'm enjoying. Hopefully this weekend allows for some catch-up time.

As for the books I received this week, I have a lone, simple paperback to share. I got my preorder from Barnes & Noble of Dhampira by Amy Pennza, after just receiving the Allurial edition last week. Two copies of a book isn't hurting anything, right? (My overstuffed shelves would disagree. Ha ha.) I really enjoyed this MMF paranormal romance. It has vampires, werewolves, witches, elves, trolls, and all kinds of magical creatures. You can check out my full review here. I'm excited to add it to my shelves next to some of my other vampy paperbacks.

 

 

Here, I have a random package I didn't even know I was getting. My UPS tracking service notified me that I had a package delivery from Harlequin. I had no idea what it could be. I figured it was either an unsolicited ARC, something I'd won in a giveaway, or a preorder incentive. And it turned out to be a preorder incentive. One I don't even remember signing up for. It's been so long since The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker was announced versus when it was actually released. I have no clue in the past two years when I signed up for the incentive. The art is very pretty, though. Now, I just need to actually read the first book.

 

As for the ebooks, I downloaded some things from Kindle Unlimited while I still have the cheap trial, but I'm not sharing those because it's too much for me these days. I am very lazy. I did get a NetGalley approval this week, though! It's The Drakon King by Terry J. Benton-Walker. I'm excited for this one! It sounds great. 

Well, that's all for me. What books have you bought/received lately?

Review: Dhampira by Amy Pennza

Dhampira

Amy Pennza

Publication Date: June 16, 2026

Paperback, 496 pages, Ace

Genres: Adult, Romantasy, LGBTQ+/Poly

Goodreads

A long-lost noble of the ruthless vampire court discovers she might not need to choose between her two suitors in this blood-pounding new romantasy from the USA Today bestselling author of the Bitten and Bound series.

 

Corinthe has spent a lifetime longing for excitement outside her sleepy human village. As a dhampir born of a human mother and vampire father, her unique abilities make her desired by those who lurk across the Feyline—the boundary that keeps the magical realm in perpetual twilight where vampires hold dominion. To stay safe, she’s concealed her supernatural strength and taste for blood from her human neighbors, but when her yearning for excitement accidentally exposes her gifts, she is captured to sell to the highest bidder.

 

Terrified, she expects the worst. But rescue comes in the form of Vander, a handsome stranger who whisks her from the auction stage and across the Feyline . . . where he reveals himself to be a vampire knight of King Rasimir’s court. Notorious for his cruelty, the deranged king is determined to extend his rule to the farthest reaches, and Vander has been tasked with delivering Corinthe to him.

 

Now a pawn in the vampire court, Corinthe learns that Rasimir intends to marry her off to the arrogant Prince Lorcan and exploit her daywalking abilities for his own gain. But a wedding isn’t the only obstacle in her path to freedom. While Vander burns with dangerous charm, Lorcan watches her with hungry eyes. And both men claim they can help her—if she can trust them.

My Review

Dhampira is dark, almost gothic tale of a young half vampire getting stuck in a world of magic and terror. If you're a fan of Netflix's Castlevania or stories like Rin Chupeco's Silver Under Nightfall, then you'll love this dark, twisted tale. Even fans of more popular stories like Jennifer L. Armentrout's From Blood and Ash, Liv Zander's Court of Ravens duet, or any of Melissa K. Roehrich's books will enjoy Dhampira. It has the same vibes with great worldbuilding.

The book is all about Corinthe, the daughter of a small town's healer and a secret vampire, who finds out her father is a crazy vampire king she'll either need to escape from or end. And of course, during this journey, there are a couple of love interests to help her out. Lorcan is the mysterious royal vampire who's always at her father's side, and Vander is the captain of the guard. Each of the three main characters display unique powers, and seeing their relationship form felt fairly realistic in their fictional world. They're all trying to survive the maniacal king they serve. It is a personal peeve of mine, however, when the MM part of an MMF relationship has already been formed prior to the book's starting timeline. I feel like it makes a third of the poly relationship seem less important to the story. Or maybe I'm just greedy and want flashback scenes of all the characters forming romantic relationships.

I honestly flew through this book. That's rare for me with review copies. Not because I don't like them, but because I'm a huge mood reader, so a review book has to hit me hard to keep me obsessively turning pages over a two-day span, and Dhampira accomplished that feat. While the villain was a bit one-dimensional, which was kind of understandable given his madness, the worldbuilding overall was super interesting. There were a lot of mythical creatures, strange powers, and warring beings. The idea of a three-way war between witches, werewolves, and vampires with elves sitting in the background makes my Underworld/Charmed/Buffy/LOTR fangirl heart happy. It was pretty cool. I think a series or an even longer book could've made this an epic tale similar to Jay Kristoff's Empire of the Vampire trilogy.

 The story was still a very fun time. I do think the ending was a bit chaotic and rushed, though. I'm hoping there's a sequel to settle the world back down, but I'm also not sure the story, especially the romance element, needs a sequel. Even though there were a few unanswered questions, those don't seem urgent enough to require another book. But I still want one, and I guess that's all that matters as long as the author writes it.

All in all, I am so happy with Dhampira. It made reading fun again when sometimes it just doesn't feel easy. I appreciate every book I read, but Dhampira helped me fall in love with that process again. It's such a good time with a digestible plot and fantasy world, but, at the same time, it has darker horror tones and intriguing romances to keep readers on their toes. I can't wait to add my preordered physical copy to my shelf of treasured vampire tales. It definitely deserves a place with my Jex Lane Beautiful Monsters set and my Reaper duology.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Stacking the Shelves: The Second Set Edition

 "Stacking the Shelves" is a weekly haul meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality. It allows book buyers to share their accumulation of books with the online book-loving community.

This week was so much better than the previous 4-6 weeks. I feel like I can breathe again. Now, the only problem is how freakin' hot it is. That's slowing me down in terms of working out and just wanting to do things in general. Air conditioning is essential right now. I'm still not reading as much, though. I was in a bit of a slump. However, I think I'm on the other side of it. Thank goodness. I hate staring at all of my books and not feeling like picking up a single one.

As for the books I received this week, it was a pretty decent haul. I did something spontaneous and ordered the Allurial edition of Dhampira by Amy Pennza. It was one of their three-book monthly options and first-time subscribers could get the book and a hat for only $9.99. So, I did it. How does this impact my book-buying ban, you ask? Well, I'm choosing to believe it doesn't because I already read this book prior to purchasing an extra copy (regular edition to come soon). Also, it's technically a special edition, and I don't limit myself with those since they can go out of stock quickly and secondhand markets are terrible sometimes. Also also, it was only $10. That's pretty cheap for a hardcover.

 

 

 

Here, I have a second set of the 2026 JLA ApollyCon exclusive Blood and Ash books, From Blood and Ash and The War of Two Queens. I didn't get an official event ticket until very, very late, so I didn't expect to get a set at the actual event. Therefore, I had preordered these books online to be shipped to me. But I did end up getting a ticket. Unfortunately, JLA's online shop (now called the ApollyCon shop, I believe), doesn't do cancellations, so now I just have duplicates. I might sell these later or I might keep them. Idk. Oh, and yes, my ApollyCon wrap up post is still coming. It's just taking a long time due to work and mental health ickiness. (I'm fine now. May was just pretty bleak.)

 

Next, I have a FairyLoot preorder. It's The Last Wish of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson. I haven't read the first book in this series yet, but I ordered book two, just in case. I actually did start the first one, but I got a chapter in and didn't continue. At the time, there was a lot going on. I was prepping for ApollyCon and work was hectic (not May hectic, but hectic, nonetheless). I'm still unsure about this series overall, though. It doesn't call to me. If anyone's read them before and can give me comp titles, that'd be great. I want to figure out what I'm in for. 

Well, that's all for me. What books have you bought/received lately?