Chad Beighley

I’m not saying I condone it…but, like, I get it.

In 2025, I read the most in recent memory. This year I focused on authors I hadn’t read before (after drowning myself in Sanderson’s Cosmere for a few months). I found so many great stories and series I’m excited to finish. I can’t wait to find even more next year (send any recommendations my way).

It’s appropriate that I waited until the heart of winter to read a sci-fi horror that takes place primarily in the Antarctic. Frozen Echoes is the debut novel of my friend and it’s a blast from start to finish. Be jealous of my autographed copy.

Here's my 5/4/3/2/1 Challenge for this particular moment in time.

5 Books I Love
4 Books on my TBR
3 Books I Always Recommend
2 Books I Recently Read
1 Book I'm Currently Reading

Let me know if you have recommendations for me, or if we agree on the greatness of any of these titles!

I read The Combat Codes by Alexander Darwin and it was a wild ride. In a world where unarmed combat decides major political disputes, the fight scenes had better be great, and this book certainly delivered. I had flashbacks to my own martial arts training while reading this, and it made me want to get in a gym and practice my moves again. Also, I got a signed copy, which is super dope.

Just booked my tickets to see the 35th anniversary showing of the 1990 live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Follow your dreams, kids.

I’m late to the party with this one, but I finally got around to reading The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch and I fully understand the hype. The setup of the prologue was super intriguing and the entire book was undeniably clever with a dark humor woven throughout. What an awesome ride.

I don’t normally read contemporary urban fantasy, but Kevin Hearne was a guest speaker at Seton Hill a while back and was awesome, so I figured I’d give Hounded a try. I finished it in just a couple days. It’s so much fun, so funny, and very well written. I highly recommend this book. I’m looking forward to the rest of this series.

I finished this bad boy in short order. It’s a fast-paced thrill ride of a story that pulls no punches and has basically no fat on it. The writing style reminds me of Ursula K. Le Guin in A Wizard of Earthsea.

After countless hours of study, 25ish books read, 12 papers drafted, and a novel written, I finished my Masters of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. I was lucky to graduate alongside truly talented writers who will no doubt become titans in the business. Now, it’s time to work on my next story!