Hey, my beloved nerds. Welcome back to Nerdology 101. This week, I’m going to be sharing some highlights from my own reading list this year—as well as a few I hope to finish before the year ends. Let’s get into some Nerdology! Note: I either can’t control the size of the images or don’t know how. So, the sizes mean nothing. It’s just the default they’re loading in at.

Books I’ve Read in 2026

So far, there’s 82 of them! This list is just the highlights though, so don’t worry.

Our Vicious Oaths by Nia/N.E. Davenport

This hottie hot hottie level book featured a boiling hot throne scene that had me squealing! Malachi was amazing and Kadeesha was such a badass! Our Vicious Oaths was the perfect intro to Nia Davenport’s work. I’ve read several of her books since then. This book is Own Voices - Black.

The Last First Kiss by Julian Winters

The Last First Kiss is an adorable contemporary MM romance. This isn’t the first book I’ve read by Julian Winters, nor will it be the last. His books are passionate and adorable. This book is Own Voices - Black and Gay.

Daybreak Volumes 1 & 2 by Moosopp

The Daybreak graphic novels are soooo good. From the art to the romance, I was totally hooked. I’ve been dying for more from this author ever since. It’s an LGBTQIA+ romance following two students, Marcus and Cog, who have one of the most wholesome romances I’ve ever seen. The image I’m using here is from volume 1, but volume 2 has equally amazing art!

This book is Own Voices - Black and LGBTQIA+ (I could be remembering wrong, but I think the author is nonbinary, so it might be better described as generally queer and not gay specifically).

The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

I’m still not over that “definitely hardware” comment. If you haven’t read it yet, you’ll get it when you do. Trust me, you won’t regret it. Every moment of this read was worth it. This book is Own Voices - Indigenous.

Devil of the Deep by Falencia Jean-Francois

I’ve been raving about this one since I read it, so you might have already heard me reference it. This is what happens when you take Pirates of the Carribbean and The Little Mermaid, mesh them together, then make them feminist and bi+. This book is Own Voices - Black and Bi+.

My Revenant: Devil & Rabbit by Ronan Marlow

Alt country boy moves home where he ends up getting stalked by larger gruff country boy until they brawl in a diner, catch feelings, screw, and do some murder. I enjoyed it deeply. This book is Own Voices - Gay.

Dominion by Jean Kwok

Dragon riders, but with a Chinese cultural basis. Need I say more? I love it, obviously. This book is Own Voices - Chinese.

Death Card by Jasmine Smith

Matrilineal sapphic witches. Every moment of this book was perfect. Mikaela and Joelle were so cute. This book is Own Voices - Black (possibly sapphic too. I’m not 100% sure of the authors orientation).

Satisfaction Guaranteed: A Werewolf Romance by Samone Bailey

This is actually one of my current reads, but I’m almost done with it now so I can confidently say this book is awesome. Alana hires a werewolf shifter sex worker named Cyrus to take her virginity. There’s knotting, primal chase, lots of aftercare which I LOVE, and of course, they catch all the feels. This book is Own Voices - Black.

Now, what are those end of the year hopefuls I mentioned?

The Fall of the Crowned King - Amber V. Nicole.

She’s my favorite author of all time, duhh. I’ve loved Gods & Monsters for years and I’m so excited to read this one!

Fallen Rook - L.J. Shen

I’m reading the second book in the Society Villains series alongside my other current reads. I’m enjoying it and definitely want to continue with Fallen Rook and the rest of the series.

A Lesson in Deceit - Allie Shante

I just heard of this book today, but due to my inability to resist reading anything I see pretty art for, this book has jumped toward the top of my wishlist.

Wishing You Well This Christmas: A Sapphic Second-Chance Romance Novella by L.M. Juniper

I read another book by this year L.M. Juniper that I enjoyed a ton, so I want to read this one too.

The Bonds of Indigo - M.L. Burns

This is another one that hooked me with art and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. That’s like, a running theme with me though.

There’s more, of course, but these are just some that stick out to me. I hope you found some books you want to check out! Of course, I encourage you to give mine a look as well. That’s it for this segment of Nerdology 101 though. As always, I’ll be back next Friday with more. Have a nerdy week!

Nerdology 101: 2026 Reading List