I remember reading my first chapter book when I was in elementary school. I was sitting in the waiting room of a dentist's office. I was incredibly proud of myself and I'd like to thank my old dentist for planting the seed of how great reading is.

Flash forward to fourth grade: This is where I remember diving into a couple of different books — "A Series of Unfortunate Events", "The Westing Game", and "Junie B Jones", to name a few. When fifth grade came around, it was required that we all read books and I loved it. I'd go off to the corner of my English teacher's classroom. There, she had a couple of shelves littered with books. Middle school is where I would grow a love of "Nancy Drew", "Harry Potter", and Stephen King novels.

Before middle school was over with, I was reading at a college level. I was as in love with reading as I'd ever been. It sparked the desire that one day, I wanted to be an author. I wanted to be the person writing these stories of far-off places with relatable characters. I wanted to write books that people picked up and couldn't put down.

When I got into high school I still kept my love of reading, but it's when college hit that it slowly started to fade away. I didn't think anything of it. It's not that I didn't love reading as much, but it felt like I didn't have the time. I'd pick a book up and instead of focusing on what was on the page, I'd think of work or school. I wasn't giving it all of my attention like I used to. I'd read a book here and there, but nowhere near the way that had before.

For Christmas, my cousin got me a book called "Wild", and while I still haven't finished it, it's the first time in a long time I've yearned to keep reading. I'll admit that I'm still guilty of getting too caught up in other things. I don't think about sitting down and picking up a book, but I know it's important.

It's important because books spark imagination and when you find that perfect one, you'll be on the edge of your seat rooting for your favorite characters. They teach you lessons. They give you something to wind down with after a long day.

In a world where Netflix runs rampant (and don't get me wrong, I'm not a monster who's going to tell you to stop binge-watching "The Office"), put the remote down and pick up a book that interests you instead. Give your brain something to thrive on.