Hello and welcome.

My name is Debby Raynor and I’ve blogged on and off for many years but this is a new venture for me – a blog about books.

If something has words on it or in it, I will read it.

That ranges from adult fiction and non-fiction to children’s books, newspapers and magazines. It also stretches to advertising pamphlets that are shoved through the door, road signs, information plaques, shop signs, graffiti – in fact pretty much anything at all.

I am a book buying addict and purchase copious quantities both new and second hand every month. I love nothing more than scouring charity shops for book bargains or spending hours choosing something new from a bookshop.

This means the books on my To Be Read shelves currently number about 500. This year to date (it is November 22, 2022) I have read 161 books so even if I buy no more for the next three years – and that is never going to happen – I will not be running out of reading material any time soon.

My favourite authors are numerous and varied but include PG Wodehouse, John Steinbeck, Yrsa Sigurdadottir, Haruki Murakami, Ismail Kadare, Elly Griffiths, George Orwell, Ragnar Jonasson and Michael Morpurgo.

I love words and the power they have to educate, entertain, advise, transport you to a different time or place, make you happy, angry, sad or relaxed. My mum taught me to read when I was three years old, way before school teachers got their hands on me, and I’ve had my head in a book (or several books) ever since, well over 50 years!

I also love to write, so ‘why not write about what I’m reading?’ I thought to myself.

As this blog grows, you will find reviews of books I’ve read, author information and other general bookish chat. Don’t expect all the books to be recent, there is a combination of old and new on my bookshelf and these are what I’ll be reading and reviewing.

Oh, and it’s highly likely that I will love every book I review. That’s not because I don’t like to be critical, it’s because life is too short to read books you are not enjoying. Reading is a pleasure for me and I have no intention of ruining it by reading something I don’t like.

So that’s what Raynor Reads Stuff is going to be. I’d love for you to stick around and see what happens and I’d be delighted to meet like-minded people to chat book stuff with along the way.