About Me

Hi and welcome to my little corner of the blogosphere! My name is Rayna and this is where I talk about all things book-related.

Where in the world did I come up with the name "Death by Nightshade"?  Well, my favorite genre is Historical murder-mysteries and nightshade is often used in those books to murder someone and since I almost exclusively read murder-mysteries, it seemed fitting to make it the title of my blog.

My great-grandmother lived with us and she taught me how to read when I was 3 years old and I read everything I could get my hands on - books, magazines, recipes, and even the back of cereal boxes. 

By the time I started kindergarten, I was already reading on a 3rd grade level and the teachers couldn't keep up with my insatiable desire for more and more books.  When I was 7, it was determined I was responsible enough for my very own library card and by the time I was 10, I had read everything in the "kiddie" section and was sneaking into the "grown-up" section.  Luckily, the librarian never told my parents I was checking out Mary Higgins Clark and Barbara Michaels...

Fast-forward to modern day where I still read books, magazines, recipes, and the backs of cereal boxes. I have over 500 books and counting in my collection.  The Hubs keeps trying to get me an e-reader (oh the horror!) and I keep refusing.  I'm just old school and need to feel the pages in my hand and smell the ink.  Besides, e-readers, while convenient, make me sea-sick and that's not cool.

Though I mostly read mysteries, I do also love nonfiction books about history (history and anthropology major here), as well as books on meditation and mindfulness.  I am always looking for new authors to read so if you have any suggestions, please let me know!

Oh yeah - I'm also a coffee addict.  Can you say "Death Wish Coffee Company"?