I've always been an avid reader. If I don't have a book in the

Hear the words of Janis Ian, singer and seeker of truth, who declared with quiet passion: “I've always been an avid reader. If I don't have a book in the car, I'll stop and pick one up just to have something to read. I don't even remember learning to read.” Though spoken as a reflection upon her life, these words burn with a deeper flame, for they reveal the mystery of how the written word becomes not merely a skill, but a companion, a hunger, and a source of strength. In her testimony we hear not only the voice of an artist, but the eternal voice of all who have ever found in books a second soul.

To be an avid reader is not simply to consume words, but to drink from an endless spring. Ian’s words speak of a life so entwined with stories and knowledge that reading is as natural as breathing, so essential that she cannot journey far without carrying the written word. Her confession, “I don’t even remember learning to read,” is the truest sign of love; for when something becomes woven into the very fabric of being, its beginning is forgotten, like the memory of first learning to walk or to sing.

Consider, O listener, the story of Abraham Lincoln, who, born in poverty, carried books with him wherever he wandered. By firelight he read the Bible, Shakespeare, and law texts, and though his hands were rough from labor, his mind grew sharp through words. He, too, could not live without reading, for books became his companions, his teachers, and his ladder out of obscurity. From such devotion to reading came wisdom that later guided a nation through civil war. Ian’s devotion to books is of the same spirit: a testimony that those who make reading a way of life carry within themselves an inexhaustible treasure.

The emotional heart of Ian’s reflection lies in the image of her stopping to pick up a book if one is absent. It is not mere entertainment she seeks, but nourishment. Just as a traveler cannot go long without water, so she cannot go long without words. For the book is both shield and lantern—it protects the soul from ignorance and lights the path toward understanding. In this, Ian shows us that reading is not a pastime but a necessity for those who hunger for truth.

The wisdom hidden in her words is this: reading is not merely learned—it is lived. The act of learning to read is only the doorway; what matters is the journey through it, the years of companionship with characters, ideas, and histories that shape the heart and mind. Ian reminds us that when reading becomes second nature, the world itself becomes a text to be read with curiosity and wonder.

The lesson for us all is clear: cultivate a love for books, not as burdens but as friends. Do not read only when required, or when duty demands it. Read as Ian reads, with eagerness, with constant devotion, until the act becomes as natural as breath. For books hold not only knowledge but also empathy, imagination, and courage. They allow us to live countless lives within our own, to understand the sorrows and triumphs of others, and to carry wisdom into our days.

What then shall you do? First, keep a book always near you, whether in car, home, or hand, so that idle moments become opportunities for growth. Second, read widely—not only what pleases you, but also what challenges and stretches your soul. Third, share this love with others, especially children, so that they may learn that reading is not a task, but a joy.

And remember always: to be an avid reader is to walk with countless companions across the ages, to never be alone, to always find nourishment for the heart and mind. Janis Ian’s words are not simply about her habit, but about a way of life—one in which reading becomes the constant thread that binds together memory, imagination, and truth. Take up her torch, and let books become your lifelong companions, for they will guide you when all else falls silent.