drama - TBD Teacher

Promise Me Sunshine By Cara Bastone: A Story About Healing Through Love

04.20.2025 by Judi Holst // Leave a Comment

I don’t handle grief well. Let’s just put that out there. I’m terrified of losing anyone that I love. When I saw that Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone was about a woman getting over the death of her best friend, I knew I had to read it. This was such a beautiful story. It isn’t just a romance book. It’s also about learning to live again. I am so glad that I read it!

5/5 stars ★★★★★

You can buy it at: https://amzn.to/4iuGpDs

What Promise Me Sunshine Is About:

Lenny’s best friend/soul-mate/confidante/roommate just died from cancer. She isn’t sure how to go on living. She can’t return to her apartment because of the memories, and she doesn’t know where to turn. She agrees to a temporary babysitting job, and her whole world changes when she meets Miles, Ainsley, and Reese.

My Thoughts on Promise Me Sunshine:

The romance genre generally isn’t my favorite to read, but I loved this book. I instantly liked all of the characters. Do you know someone who says whatever she thinks, goes to the extreme in what she does, and loves with her whole heart? That’s Lenny. Do you know someone who comes across as gruff, but is a big teddy bear? That’s Miles. Ainsley is a crack-up and a lovable kid. Reese, her mom, is working through the grief of losing her own dad. All of the characters are well-developed in the story, and you can’t help but cheer each of them on.

I love that Lenny made up stories about the people she meets, especially if she feels they could be a love interest. How her future looks with that person always made me laugh. I like doing that about people also.

The Story Line:

It is the story line that truly grabbed me, though. I, too, have a best friend that I met when I was five, just like Lenny and Lou. I can’t imagine life without her. I cried so many times as Lenny learns to deal with her grief. Bastone, the author, does a wonderful job of showing how someone works through the grieving process. It was a list that was created when Lou was sick that takes Lenny on a wonderful adventure, and it’s Miles that shows her how to love life again.

I did have a question about one part of the story. At one point, Lenny and Miles don’t have any electricity, and they have to search for things in the dark. Why didn’t they just use the flashlight on their phone? A minor point, I know, but it made me curious.

I gave this book five out of five stars. I couldn’t wait to get back to the story each time, and that tells me how much I like a book. I like when a book makes me laugh, cry, think, and wish I knew the characters. I definitely recommend it.

This was just published in March, 2025, so it would make a great Mother’s Day gift. You wouldn’t have to worry if she has read it or not. https://amzn.to/44AgM0t

My Favorite Quotes:

By Miles, “Something good for you, something bad for you, and a change in scenery. That’s the winning formula.” It was how he dealt with his own grief.

From Lenny, “I’ve just cracked the code. How to live a perfect existence: just embrace it all, every lovely excruciating color.”

Thank You:

Thank you to NetGalley, Cara Barstone, and Random House Publishers for my free copy of this book. This is my honest review.

Extras:

If you enjoyed this book, I would also recommend because of they are drama/romance books too:

My New Favorite Product:

My Kindle died recently, so I had to get a new one. Of course, this also meant a new cover. I love my new Vori cover because you can hold it with the strap if you are laying down, or use the stand if you are sitting in a chair. You can hold it with either hand. Plus, they have a lot of great designs to choose from. It is absolutely perfect, and I highly recommend it.

https://amzn.to/3RlP684

The Sideways Life of Denny Voss by Holly Kennedy

04.16.2025 by Judi Holst // Leave a Comment

It’s no surprise that a murder case is never the way it seems in a book. The Sideways Life of Denny Voss by Holly Kennedy is no different. Denny, a neurodivergent man with an IQ of 72, is charged with the murder of a mayoral candidate when he is found after crashing a sled full of guns into a tree. Can he prove to the police why this happened?

https://amzn.to/42MWL5x

3/5 stars ★★★☆☆

My Thoughts On The Sideways Life of Denny Voss:

This story was a sweet but slow-moving burn for me. I enjoyed the characters that are in Denny’s life. Of course, the dog, George, a deaf and blind Saint Bernard, won my heart over. But it was Denny’s cousin, Argus, that was my favorite. He was always so loving toward Denny, even when he had to be tough with him. I also love a funny t-shirt, so I enjoyed that each time Argus showed up in the story, he was wearing a different funny shirt.

Neurodivergent people hold a special place in my heart, so maybe this is why this story was a little difficult for me to read. Denny was leading a good life, and yet, he was misunderstood, and that was frustrating to me. I saw so many of my past students in Denny. It just made me want to hug him.

This book has high ratings from so many readers, so I hope that you will still give it a try. I am definitely the oddball with my rating. It repeated a little too much for me, and I wanted to hurry the story along. I do love the cover, though. It was a perfect choice for this story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Holly Kennedy, and Lake Union Publishing for my free copy. This is my honest review.

*If you want to read more of my book reviews, you can find them at: https://judiholst.com/book-reviews/

*If you missed my post about my Top Books of 2024, you can find it at: https://judiholst.com/top-20-books-that-i-loved-in-2024/

My New Favorite Product This Week:

My Kindle died this week, so I had to get a new one. Of course, this also meant a new cover. I love my new Vori cover because you can hold it with the strap if you are laying down, or use the stand if you are sitting in a chair. Plus, they have a lot of great designs to choose from. It is absolutely perfect, and I highly recommend it.

https://amzn.to/3RlP684

Penitence By Kristin Koval: A Story of Tragedy and Forgiveness

02.04.2025 by Judi Holst // Leave a Comment

https://amzn.to/4gr4JVJ

Have you ever experienced a tragedy and you’re not sure how you can forgive the person who caused it? Tragedy affects every family. Some families much worse than others. In every tribulation, there is a hope of penitence (forgiveness). In Kristin Koval’s novel Penitence, she explores the idea of love and forgiveness in more ways than one.

About The Book:

Penitence is a drama about a family that experiences the feeling of death in more ways than one. 13-year-old Nora is arrested for killing her 14-year-old brother. Their family is shattered, and it feels like they have lost two children at once. The story unfolds in two timelines. One explores the mother’s past. The other reveals the current times of the daughter. Koval digs deep into the thoughts and feelings of all that are involved. How does one defend their daughter in a courtroom? She was the one caught holding the gun in their own house.

My Thoughts On The Book:

I loved the premise of this book. It made me wonder how a family goes on after the death of a child. Then, it adds the story line of the death being caused by their own family member. The story captured my attention when it featured Nora in jail. I was also captivated during her time in a juvenile detention center. It tugged on the heart strings of this middle school teacher.

I enjoyed the courtroom drama and the police investigation as well. I especially loved that it took place in Colorado. I could picture the perfect small town. It is like so many around this beautiful state.

The backstory of Angie and her past was interesting and added to the story. Her mistakes, past loves, and family problems were a big part of the story. However, I felt that it was just too long and had too many details. I kept wanting to get back to Nora and the present. I was also a little disappointed by the ending. I kept hoping that there was an epilogue.

This book definitely shows one side of a political spectrum. You are either going to love that or hate it. It just depends on your views.

I gave this book 3.5 stars. I enjoyed reading it. However, it was a little depressing for me. It also has a little too much of the back story. That being said, there are a lot of other reviewers who loved this book. If you like a strong family drama, you might really enjoy the story.

Extras:

If you like books that take place in jail/prison, you might like:

You can buy this book at: https://amzn.to/4gr4JVJ

*If you want to read more of my book reviews, you can find them at: https://judiholst.com/book-reviews/

*If you missed my post about my Top Books of 2024, you can find it at: https://judiholst.com/top-20-books-that-i-loved-in-2024/

Thank you to NetGalley, Kristin Koval, and Celadon for my free copy of this book. This is my honest review.

Teaching Tip: Get Your Students Thinking Like MacGyver!

11.11.2018 by Judi Holst // 1 Comment

What Would MacGyver Do?

Do you remember the television show “MacGyver”? It was one of the great television shows that started in the 1980s. MacGyver was a secret agent who could get out of any problem just by using ordinary objects around him. There’s nothing like hooking your students when you tell them they get to be secret agents!

Getting Started

Choose three volunteers to come to the front of the room. Those three are secret agents who end up in a precarious situation and have to get themselves out of it by collaborating together. Ask three different students in the audience to name an ordinary object. For example, the three objects could be: a rock, a purse, and a pinecone. Then give the “agents” a life-threatening situation (or ask the audience for one). For example: You are hiking in the Rocky Mountains and encounter a zombie. Working together, the three agents act out how they would use the three objects to escape their situation. I usually give them a minute or two to discuss their scene before they start. Remember to discuss what public speaking skills they used after this activity.

Using It In Different Content Areas

Tip: You could also relate the content that what you are teaching. The agents could be locked in a pyramid or tomb, or they could be in a “sphere” with no windows or doors. Their tools might be something you use in science (microscope, funnel, googles).

Why This Works

If you’re trying to think of a way to engage students in your content area, while also working on their critical thinking skills, then this MacGyver activity is the way to go. You could change to the title to, “What would a scientist do?” “What would a mathematician do?” “What would a historian do?” Of course, my favorite part is that it gives students a chance to work on their communication/collaboration skills.

If you’re looking for another great way to engage students for your vocabulary unit, check out my recent post, “Vocabulary Improv.”