VBT# Only Prince Charming Gets to Break the Rules: Gender and Rule Violation in Fairy Tales and Life - Dr. Anne E. Bell - October 2022 In "Only Prince Charming Gets to Break the Rules," Dr. Anne E. Beall takes readers on a captivating journey that unveils the intricate link between gender stereotypes in fairy tales and their profound impact on real-world life. With meticulous research and literary analysis, Beall dissects 200 folktales and fairy tales from various cultures, uncovering a disheartening disparity in how male and female characters are punished for breaking societal rules. This powerful feminist critique challenges our understanding of social norms and demonstrates how deeply ingrained gender biases can shape our families, politics, and education. Fairy tales have long been regarded as reflections of societal values and tools for imparting moral lessons. However, Beall's compelling exploration exposes the contradictions that exist within these stories. She ski...

Review: Woman of the Year - Darcey Bell - March 2023 This book had been one that kept jumping out at me and though I hadn't read the book A Simple Favour, I did quite enjoy the psychological twists and turns of the film with Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick. Woman of the Year starts by introducing us to Lorelai or as she was once known, Laura Lee. She has an invitation to the Woman of the Year award which is being given to Holly Serpenta. Years ago in college, the two girls were friends until Holly stabbed Lorelai in the back and ruined her life and it all fell apart. Lorelai is determined to make Holly pay and plans to kill her using Walnut Oil. That is until someone gets to Holly first and murders her. The book then jumps back to the girls' college years and how they first both met - fresh-faced and ready to study psychology and become therapists. It talks about the experiments, lab animals, and the affair they both were having with their college professor who in turn used th...