Hitting the Books with Gary Thorne: "The Book Thief"

What a treat to be able to introduce you to the co-producer of "Hitting the Books," Olivia Witherite.

She has been the coordinator and videographer of this blog from day one and an uncompromising supporter of what we do here.

She takes the video and edits it to what you see, while working with her social media department to get this blog up and running each time.

Today she will tell us about her favorite book of the moment, "The Book Thief," one she could not have more highly recommended to me, at which point I said, "Sit down and tell us about it."

The author, Markus Zusak, is an Australian who has published in the U.S. previously. I have not read this work or his others, but looking at the reviews, he writes of surviving in the toughest of human situations, always with hope.

This work is set in Nazi Germany and is the story of a young girl's survival, not only through the Nazi atrocities, but the tough times of a home life in a foster situation.

The passion Olivia has for this book comes through in her presentation with me and that's what reading is all about.

Think about a book that moved you deeply and that still resonates with you when you think about your favorite reads. That is what great books do for a reader and that is what this book did for Olivia.

Here is Olivia with her feelings about a book that clearly touched her deeply.

"Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird,
That cannot fly."
― Langston Hughes

Gary Thorne is the play-by-play voice of the Orioles on MASN, and the 2019 season is his 13th with the club and 34th covering Major League Baseball. His blog will appear regularly throughout the season. The Orioles and Sarasota County, for the 8th consecutive year, have partnered on the Big-League Reader Program, which rewarded kids who read three books in February with tickets to a Grapefruit League game at Ed Smith Stadium in March.

* Hitting the Books with Gary Thorne. © Copyright 2019 Gary F. Thorne. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Gary F. Thorne and MASNsports.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.