Addicted to Reading?

Sometimes I wonder if I am addicted to reading. When I say this to friends, they usually say, “If you are, it’s a good kind of addiction.” And I obviously basically agree with this assessment; reading is a powerful, informative, illuminating, productive, and enjoyable activity. If it is an addiction, it is certainly better than many other kinds of addictions. But like all addictions, it sometimes interferes with other parts of one’s life. Sometimes I think I read when I should be doing other things. If it is an addiction, it is one I have had since I was a child, and I doubt I could ever wean myself away from it. It is too powerful an addiction for me, too central an activity in my life.