Starting my literary spring fling at the library

Yes, it's spring, despite the on and off nature of the weather out there, and my first thoughts were of seeing what books were in bloom at the library.

For this library haul, I went with a pair of nonfiction titles(in order not to distract too much from the Spring Into Horror readathon that I'm taking part in) and one Jane Austen themed novel.

My usual nonfiction reading has been in a slight slump but it's taking off rather well at the moment and having a couple of reads due back at a certain time should help me keep that pace going nicely.

The first nonfiction title that caught my eye was It's All a Game by Tristan Donovan, which covers the history of board games from ancient times to present day.

 I've already gotten into the first chapter where Egyptian tombs such as King Tut's had playing boards discovered among their treasures, with historians and even the founder of Parker Brothers being consulted about what kind of games they were meant for.

Other chapters include the origins of such iconic games as Monopoly and Operation while some focus on what made certain games popular during certain periods of time, from those centered around dating and marriage in the fifties and sixties to more personality driven ones in the 70s and 80s. Donovan also includes the timeless appeal of chess,which is sort of the little black dress of board games, and the newer types of games being created and/or revived in our internet age.

I do have some fond board game memories(including an off brand one called Peanut Butter and Jelly and yes, you were supposed to make sandwiches) and learning more about them should be engaging entertainment indeed:

 Speaking of engaging, I decided to take a chance on Katherine Chen's novel, Mary B, which takes the middle Bennet sister from Pride and Prejudice as it's leading lady.

Mary tells her own story, starting from before the events of P&P as well as during and extending afterwards,where her secret talent for writing catches the attention of Colonel Fitzwilliam, her brother-in-law Darcy's beloved cousin.

As Mary is less than inclined to read too much into his interest, having been told for years that she is the least attractive of all her sisters,Fitzwilliam does truly seem to be interested in Mary's intellectual gifts and perhaps more.

 There have been other stories that highlight Mary(one of my favorites being Pamela Mingle's The Pursuit of Mary Bennet) and hopefully this book will give her the proper spotlight that she deserves rather than the usual Jan Brady treatment that this character gets:

To round things out, my final selection was Just The Funny Parts by Nell Scovell, a writer/producer/creator for television who has seen more than her fair share of behind the scenes sexist shenanigans.

She chronicles her early years in Hollywood, where being the only woman in the writers' room was considered a major achievement, as well as getting to work on such popular shows like Murphy Brown, Coach and The Simpsons.

However, all of that came with plenty of nonsense from those benefiting from the power of this still male dominated field, which lead her to go against David Letterman(who she worked for as a writer)and point out the lack of female influence in the late night show sphere.

The book seems very timely and smartly written,a combination that should make for a really insightful look into the TV trenches for women both then and now:

This start to my library spring reading season feels just right,although it would be better for me if I didn't resort to late night reading sessions in order to finish a book before it's due date. While I am happy that I did read that Meg Wolitzer novel right through to the end, getting a good amount of sleep is important for being able to focus the next day and not doze off during breakfast: