diff --git a/runes/docs.go b/runes/docs.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ba5c527
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runes/docs.go
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+// Package runes helps us work with runes
+package runes
diff --git a/runes/reader.go b/runes/reader.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..90cc1b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runes/reader.go
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+package runes
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"io"
+	"strings"
+	"unicode/utf8"
+)
+
+const (
+	// ReadBufferSize indicates the initial buffer size
+	ReadBufferSize = 1 << 7 // 128B
+
+	// DoublingBufferSizeLimit indicates when we stop doubling
+	// and just add instead
+	DoublingBufferSizeLimit = 1 << 17 // 128KiB
+)
+
+// implemented interfaces
+var (
+	_ io.RuneReader = (*Reader)(nil)
+)
+
+// Reader is a RuneReader aimed at implementing text parsers
+type Reader struct {
+	src io.Reader
+
+	buf    []byte
+	off    int
+	cursor int
+}
+
+// ready tells how many bytes are ready to decode
+func (b *Reader) ready() int {
+	return len(b.buf) - b.cursor
+}
+
+// available tells how many free bytes remain at the end of the buffer
+func (b *Reader) available() int {
+	return cap(b.buf) - len(b.buf)
+}
+
+func (b *Reader) needsBytes(n int) error {
+	for {
+		if b.ready() >= n {
+			// ready
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		// make room
+		b.prepareBuffer(n - b.ready())
+
+		// and read more
+		_, err := b.fill()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (b *Reader) rebuffer(size int) {
+	var src, dst []byte
+
+	if size <= cap(b.buf) {
+		// same buffer
+		dst = b.buf
+	} else {
+		// new buffer
+		dst = make([]byte, size)
+	}
+
+	src = b.buf[b.off:]
+	dst = dst[:len(src)]
+
+	copy(dst, src)
+
+	b.cursor -= b.off
+	b.buf = dst
+	b.off = 0
+}
+
+func (b *Reader) prepareBuffer(n int) {
+	available := b.available()
+
+	switch {
+	case n <= available:
+		// n or more already available
+	case n <= available+b.off:
+		// rebase is enough
+		b.rebuffer(0)
+	default:
+		// resize
+		needed := len(b.buf) + n - b.off
+		size := cap(b.buf)
+
+		for size < needed {
+			switch {
+			case size < DoublingBufferSizeLimit:
+				size *= 2
+			default:
+				size += DoublingBufferSizeLimit
+			}
+		}
+
+		b.rebuffer(size)
+	}
+}
+
+func (b *Reader) fill() (int, error) {
+	start := len(b.buf)
+	n, err := b.src.Read(b.buf[start:cap(b.buf)])
+	if n > 0 {
+		b.buf = b.buf[:start+n]
+	}
+	return n, err
+}
+
+// ReadRune reads the next rune
+func (b *Reader) ReadRune() (rune, int, error) {
+	// we need at least one byte to start
+	count := 1
+	for {
+		err := b.needsBytes(count)
+		if err != nil {
+			return 0, 0, err
+		}
+
+		if utf8.FullRune(b.buf[b.cursor:]) {
+			// we have a full rune
+			break
+		}
+
+		// more
+		count = b.ready() + 1
+	}
+
+	// decode rune
+	r, l := utf8.DecodeRune(b.buf[b.cursor:])
+	return r, l, nil
+}
+
+// NewReader creates a new runes [Reader] using the given [io.Reader]
+func NewReader(r io.Reader) *Reader {
+	if r == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return &Reader{
+		src: r,
+		buf: make([]byte, 0, ReadBufferSize),
+	}
+}
+
+// NewReaderBytes creates a new runes [Reader] using the given bytes
+func NewReaderBytes(b []byte) *Reader {
+	return NewReader(bytes.NewReader(b))
+}
+
+// NewReaderString creates a new runes [Reader] using the given string
+func NewReaderString(s string) *Reader {
+	return NewReader(strings.NewReader(s))
+}