From the time I was a little girl, books played a huge part in my life. Given the fact I am an English major and an avid writer, books have played a major role in the woman I have become.

Now, don’t get me wrong, technology is cool too. I remember the elation I felt as I unwrapped my new iPhone 5C for Christmas and spent hours learning the ins and outs of my new toy. However, the novelty soon wore off.

I’ve never had that problem with a book. When I hold a new book in my hand, fresh pages just waiting to be turned, everything seems possible. Inside the book are new characters to meet, mysteries begging to be solved, adventures anxious to be taken and romances waiting to blossom. There’s nothing like the feeling of a new book, and that elation doesn’t wear off.

I once had an English teacher tell me, “I love books because they allow me to live a life I wouldn’t be able to live otherwise.” As I thought about her statement, I realized how true it was. Through my reading, I have lived the life of a stubborn 18th-century woman, a Russian murderer, a young wizard and countless others.

For only $15 a pop, I’ve traveled to many places without leaving my little Utah bubble. Who needs airplane tickets and sunny beaches? We have books!

Another glorious thing about books is that they never have dead batteries. No matter what time of day it is, where you are or how long you have been reading, a book will never need a recharge.

Has anyone ever put down their phone after spending two hours scrolling through twitter and think to themselves, “Wow, what a great feeling it is to have just read 573 pointless tweets!” I don’t think so.

But have you ever turned to the last page of a book, read the last lines in a dramatic voice inside your head and put the book down feeling like you have just accomplished something great? I bet that happens a lot more often.

In a crazy life full of busy schedules and countless appointments, it is hard to feel that sense of accomplishment very often, but books can help with that. After all, it’s not every day you return from fighting mystical creatures or catching a bank thief.

Before the internet came along, how did anyone learn anything? There was no Google or Siri. They had to look it up in a book. And even though we have this amazing new technology that allows us to have seemingly infinite information at our fingertips, books are still a great source of knowledge.

Even in reading a fiction book, I can bet you learn a least one new thing. Books can certainly expand your knowledgeable horizons if you are humble enough to let them.

Yes, perhaps books are not always as interesting as the latest version of the Samsung Galaxy, or that new app Apple just released, but literature will grant us power that no battery-operated device will ever give.

Maya Angelou once said, “When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading.”

So take the time away from your busy schedules, put down that electronic device and immerse yourself in an unforgettable plot line.