helendipietro's reviews
237 reviews

The Swifts by Beth Lincoln

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 14%.
Started and was enjoying it but wasn’t fully into it. Life got in the way so must return!
Cross My Heart and Never Lie by Nora Dåsnes

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Big O: An Empowering Guide to Loving, Dating and F*cking by Oloni

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informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

This is an extremely comprehensive manifesto for sex-positivity! It covers everything from sexual desires, pleasure, consent, kinks, taboos and some of the history behind it all. It''s relevant, accessible and would help to educate and empower many people. Oloni's tone is energetic, honest but charismatic and it makes it an enjoyable read. It feels like she's fighting your corner!


Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor

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hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

This book has made me want to change the way that I breathe. It reminds and enlightens us to prioritise breathing through our noses to aid health. I can see how some people didn’t vibe with the amount of anecdotal evidence included over scientific research and journals etc but it’s clearly still a well researched book. I actually enjoyed the hands on approach Nestor took as he takes us on his travels of the world to discover ancient breathing practices. It gave me hope, as someone who is a mouth breather and snorer, that I am not a passenger in my body but the pilot!! 👩‍✈️ 
The Queen Next Door by Marcela Ferreira

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informative inspiring reflective
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Great messaging and vibrant illustrations! 
Whose Dog Is This? by Andrew Sanders

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funny

3.0

A fun one but not a favourite!
The Secret Elephant: The true story of an extraordinary wartime friendship by Ellan Rankin

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hopeful reflective sad

4.0

Beautiful illustrations that tell the heartfelt story of an unbreakable bond between an elephant and a human! Adds so much more to the reading experience knowing that it was based on true events and I enjoyed the newspaper format at the end which explains this.
The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish by Chloe Savage

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hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Wow these illustrations are just phenomenal! I enjoyed reading this picture book and will be recommending it to parents of children who love to explore and are interested in the ocean/science! 🌊 
I liked the twist that the jellyfish has been following the crew without them knowing but I hate a cliff hanger! I want to know what she did next?? Great for stimulating discussions with young children though 👌
Snowed In For Christmas by Sarah Morgan

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
Not in the mood 
Bloom by Kevin Panetta

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Very sweet and heartwarming story. The visuals are amazing and the colour tone was unique. I wanted more from some of these characters as the friends had such great personalities! The will they won’t they part of the book was then revealed super quickly with some added drama so that was interesting but I felt like the ending wrapped up too quickly.