diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index a69f439..dea87ca 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -83,5 +83,11 @@
             <version>2.10.3</version>
             <scope>test</scope>
         </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.jetbrains</groupId>
+            <artifactId>annotations</artifactId>
+            <version>16.0.2</version>
+            <scope>compile</scope>
+        </dependency>
     </dependencies>
 </project>
diff --git a/src/main/java/nl/sander/jsontoy2/JsonReader.java b/src/main/java/nl/sander/jsontoy2/JsonReader.java
index c34deb3..6179a0d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/nl/sander/jsontoy2/JsonReader.java
+++ b/src/main/java/nl/sander/jsontoy2/JsonReader.java
@@ -2,24 +2,37 @@ package nl.sander.jsontoy2;
 
 import nl.sander.jsontoy2.readers.*;
 
+import java.io.BufferedInputStream;
+import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
 import java.io.InputStream;
+import java.lang.ref.SoftReference;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.time.LocalDateTime;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentMap;
+import java.util.function.Supplier;
 
 /**
- * public facade
+ * public api
  */
 public class JsonReader {
+    private static final ConcurrentMap<Class<?>, Supplier<JsonValueReader<?>>> readSuppliers = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
     private static final ConcurrentMap<Class<?>, JsonValueReader<?>> readers = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
 
+    private final static ThreadLocal<SoftReference<Parser>> PARSERS = new ThreadLocal<>();
+
+    static {
+        registerPrimitiveTypeReaders();
+    }
+
     /**
-     * reads a value for a type that is not known beforehand
+     * reads a value from a stream for a type that is not known beforehand
      *
-     * @param stream the underlying stream to read
+     * @param inputStream the underlying stream to read
      * @return an Object with runtime type as follows:
      * "null" => null
      * "true"/"false" => Boolean
@@ -29,61 +42,116 @@ public class JsonReader {
      * object => HashMap
      * array => List
      */
-    public static Object read(InputStream stream) {
-        return read(new Parser(stream));
+    public static Object read(InputStream inputStream) {
+        InputStream in = ensureBuffered(inputStream);
+        try (Parser parser = getParser(in)) {
+            return read(parser);
+        }
     }
 
+    private static InputStream ensureBuffered(InputStream inputStream) {
+        if (inputStream instanceof BufferedInputStream) {
+            return inputStream;
+        } else {
+            return new BufferedInputStream(inputStream);
+        }
+    }
+
+
+    /**
+     * Reads a value from a string for a type that is not known beforehand
+     *
+     * @param jsonString the Json String to read
+     * @return @see read(InputStream stream)
+     */
     public static Object read(String jsonString) {
-        return read(new Parser(jsonString));
+        return read(getParser(jsonString));
+    }
+
+    private static Parser getParser(String jsonString) {
+        return getParser(new ByteArrayInputStream(jsonString.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8)));
+    }
+
+    private static Parser getParser(InputStream inputStream) {
+        Objects.requireNonNull(inputStream, "File not found");
+        Parser parser;
+        SoftReference<Parser> parserReference = PARSERS.get();
+        if (parserReference == null || (parser = parserReference.get()) == null) {
+            parser = new Parser(inputStream);
+            parserReference = new SoftReference<>(parser);
+            PARSERS.set(parserReference);
+        } else {
+            parser.init(inputStream);
+        }
+        return parser;
     }
 
     static Object read(Parser parser) {
         return parser.parseAny();
     }
 
-    public static <T> T read(Class<T> type, InputStream reader) {
-        return read(type, new Parser(reader));
+    /**
+     * Reads a value from a stream for the given type
+     *
+     * @param type        The class for the type that is needed
+     * @param inputStream The stream to read
+     * @param <T>         the type that is needed
+     * @return Object the specified type
+     */
+    public static <T> T read(Class<T> type, InputStream inputStream) {
+        Parser parser = getParser(inputStream);
+        T value = read(type, parser);
+        parser.close();
+        return value;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Reads a value from a stream for the given type
+     *
+     * @param type       The class for the type that is needed
+     * @param jsonString The String to read
+     * @param <T>        the type that is needed
+     * @return Object the specified type
+     */
     public static <T> T read(Class<T> type, String jsonString) {
-        return read(type, new Parser(jsonString));
+        return read(type, getParser(jsonString));
     }
 
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-    static <T> T read(Class<T> type, Parser parser) {
+    private static <T> T read(Class<T> type, Parser parser) {
         return (T) getReader(type).read(parser);
-//        class.cast() does not work for primitives;
+//        class.cast() does not work well for primitives;
     }
 
     private static <T> JsonValueReader<?> getReader(Class<T> type) {
-        return readers.get(type);
+        return readers.computeIfAbsent(type, k -> readSuppliers.get(k).get());
     }
 
-    static <T> void register(Class<T> type, JsonValueReader<T> objectReader) {
-        readers.put(type, objectReader);
+    private static <T> void register(Class<T> type, Supplier<JsonValueReader<?>> objectReader) {
+        readSuppliers.put(type, objectReader);
     }
 
-    static {
-        register(Boolean.class, new BooleanReader());
-        register(boolean.class, new BooleanReader());
-        register(Integer.class, new IntegerReader());
-        register(int.class, new IntegerReader());
-        register(Long.class, new LongReader());
-        register(long.class, new LongReader());
-        register(Byte.class, new ByteReader());
-        register(byte.class, new ByteReader());
-        register(Short.class, new ShortReader());
-        register(short.class, new ShortReader());
-        register(Double.class, new DoubleReader());
-        register(double.class, new DoubleReader());
-        register(Float.class, new FloatReader());
-        register(float.class, new FloatReader());
-        register(Date.class, new DateReader());
-        register(Character.class, new CharReader());
-        register(char.class, new CharReader());
-        register(String.class, new StringReader());
-        register(LocalDateTime.class, new LocalDateTimeReader());
-        register(List.class, new ListReader());
-        register(Map.class, new MapReader());
+    private static void registerPrimitiveTypeReaders() {
+        register(Boolean.class, BooleanReader::new);
+        register(boolean.class, BooleanReader::new);
+        register(Integer.class, IntegerReader::new);
+        register(int.class, IntegerReader::new);
+        register(Long.class, LongReader::new);
+        register(long.class, LongReader::new);
+        register(Byte.class, ByteReader::new);
+        register(byte.class, ByteReader::new);
+        register(Short.class, ShortReader::new);
+        register(short.class, ShortReader::new);
+        register(Double.class, DoubleReader::new);
+        register(double.class, DoubleReader::new);
+        register(Float.class, FloatReader::new);
+        register(float.class, FloatReader::new);
+        register(Date.class, DateReader::new);
+        register(Character.class, CharReader::new);
+        register(char.class, CharReader::new);
+        register(String.class, StringReader::new);
+        register(LocalDateTime.class, LocalDateTimeReader::new);
+        register(List.class, ListReader::new);
+        register(Map.class, MapReader::new);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/nl/sander/jsontoy2/Lexer.java b/src/main/java/nl/sander/jsontoy2/Lexer.java
index a108e10..2985a16 100644
--- a/src/main/java/nl/sander/jsontoy2/Lexer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/nl/sander/jsontoy2/Lexer.java
@@ -2,21 +2,24 @@ package nl.sander.jsontoy2;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.function.Supplier;
 
 /**
  * implements lowest level operations on inputstream.
  */
-public class Lexer {
-    protected final InputStream inputStream;
+public class Lexer implements AutoCloseable {
+    protected InputStream inputStream;
     protected final ByteBuf characterBuffer = new ByteBuf();
     protected byte current;
+    protected int charCount = 0;
 
     public Lexer(InputStream inputStream) {
         this.inputStream = inputStream;
     }
 
     void advance() {
+        charCount++;
         try {
             current = (byte) inputStream.read();
         } catch (IOException e) {
@@ -29,21 +32,22 @@ public class Lexer {
             while (current > -1 && Character.isWhitespace(current)) {
                 current = (byte) inputStream.read();
             }
-            if (current == -1) {
-                throw new JsonParseException("end of source reached");
-            }
         } catch (IOException e) {
             throw new IllegalStateException(e);
         }
     }
 
-    void eatUntil(char until) {
-        while (current > -1 && (current != until | Character.isWhitespace(current))) {
+    void eatUntil(char... until) {
+        while (current > -1 && (!contains(until, current) | Character.isWhitespace(current))) {
             advance();
         }
         advance();
     }
 
+    private boolean contains(char[] characters, byte c) {
+        return Arrays.binarySearch(characters, (char) c) > -1;
+    }
+
     void expect(Supplier<JsonParseException> exceptionSupplier, char... word) {
         int increment = 0;
 
@@ -55,4 +59,12 @@ public class Lexer {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    public void close() {
+        try {
+            inputStream.close();
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            throw new JsonParseException(e);
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/nl/sander/jsontoy2/Parser.java b/src/main/java/nl/sander/jsontoy2/Parser.java
index 09da074..a4871d2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/nl/sander/jsontoy2/Parser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/nl/sander/jsontoy2/Parser.java
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 package nl.sander.jsontoy2;
 
-import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.HashMap;
@@ -26,8 +25,14 @@ public class Parser extends Lexer {
         advance();
     }
 
-    protected Parser(String jsonString) {
-        super(new ByteArrayInputStream(jsonString.getBytes()));
+    public void init(InputStream inputStream) {
+        this.inputStream = inputStream;
+        linecount = 0;
+        charCount = 0;
+        escaping = false;
+        encoded = false;
+        encodedCodePointBuffer.clear();
+        characterBuffer.clear();
         advance();
     }
 
@@ -125,18 +130,23 @@ public class Parser extends Lexer {
         if (current != '{') {
             throw new JsonParseException("no map found");
         }
+        advance();
         while (current != -1 && current != '}') {
             skipWhitespace();
             if (current == '"') {
                 String key = parseString();
-                eatUntil(':');
+                skipWhitespace();
+                if (current == ':') {
+                    advance();
+                } else {
+                    throw new JsonParseException("expected colon");
+                }
                 skipWhitespace();
                 Maybe<Object> maybeValue = parseValue();
-                maybeValue.ifPresent(o -> map.put(key, o));
-                eatUntil(',');
-            } else {
-                advance();
+                maybeValue.ifPresent(value -> map.put(key, value));
             }
+            advance();
+            skipWhitespace();
         }
         return map;
     }
@@ -275,4 +285,6 @@ public class Parser extends Lexer {
             return true;
         }
     }
+
+
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/nl/sander/jsontoy2/RandomObject.java b/src/test/java/nl/sander/jsontoy2/RandomObject.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1527ee1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/nl/sander/jsontoy2/RandomObject.java
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+package nl.sander.jsontoy2;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+
+public class RandomObject {
+
+    @Test
+    public void testRandomJsonObject() {
+        Map<?, ?> map = JsonReader.read(Map.class, getClass().getResourceAsStream("/random_object.json"));
+        assertEquals(5, map.size());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/test/resources/random_object.json b/src/test/resources/random_object.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..91f5fc0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/resources/random_object.json
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+{
+  "firstName": "John",
+  "lastName": "Smith",
+  "age": 25,
+  "address": {
+    "streetAddress": "21 2nd Street",
+    "city": "New York",
+    "state": "NY",
+    "postalCode": 10021
+  },
+  "phoneNumbers": [
+    {
+      "type": "home",
+      "number": "212 555-1234"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "fax",
+      "number": "646 555-4567"
+    }
+  ]
+}
\ No newline at end of file