The Next Thing on My List

by Jill Smolinski

“You’ll be hooked by this charming story. . . . Smolinski gives us a quick-witted heroine . . . with just the right amount of romance and a tad of suspense.”
— Richmond Times-Dispatch

After a car accident in which her passenger, Marissa, dies, June Parker finds herself in possession of a list Marissa has “20 Things to Do by My 25th Birthday.” The tasks range from inspiring (run a 5K) to daring (go braless) to near-impossible (change someone’s life).

To assuage her guilt, June races to achieve each goal herself before the deadline, learning more about her own life than she ever bargained for.

Genres: Chick Lit, Book Club, Fiction, Romance, Humor, Contemporary, Adult

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2007

About the author

I am the author of the novels Objects of My Affection, The Next Thing on My List and Flip-Flopped. I love calling in to book clubs, so visit my web site if you're reading one of my books and would like me to join in the discussion.

Reviews

[Chea · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was ridiculous and the main character was kind of an idiot and I'm SO SICK of books that make EVERY WOMAN out to be a neurotic mess whose salvation comes in the form of some DOUCHE BAG guy. Thank you.

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review is based on reading the first 35 pages and the last chapter of the book. I couldn't read any more than that. I really wanted to like this book. I loved the premise of it: a woman's car passenger dies in an accident and she finds her list of "20 Things To Do Before I Turn 25" and does them for her, and in the process finds meaning in her own life. But I didn't like the author's writing style. It didn't draw me in and I got easily bored. It felt like she was writing a screenplay more than a novel. Crassness and profanity also dragged down the quality of the book, so based on what I read, it gets just one lonesome little star.

[Christina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, the reviews I have read about this have me confused. The concept of the book was really cute, the execution was horrible. It was silly and shallow and wow I cannot believe how many people loved it. Don't bother!

[Kimberly K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Add this to your "to-read" list then snatch it up quick and read it right away! It's the story of a woman named June and how her life unfolds as she struggles to complete someone else’s list of things to do before my next birthday. Isn't that a cute concept for a story? And it contains all the elements I love in a book... Lots of humor and even some touching moments that brought tears to my eyes (without being too sappy). I adored the voice of this book and felt like my best friend (literally my best friend from junior high) was keeping me up to date on the happenings of her life as she sorted through it. Author Jill Smolinski has nice fast paced rhythm and great characters with a lot of heart. I'll be looking for her other novel Flip-Flopped. I wonder if she made it on a Best Seller list with either of these?

[Julia · Rating 1 out of 5]

2016: Wie peinlich.
Ich lese gerade so ernste Bücher, dass ich dachte nebenbei wäre mal was oberflächliches ganz nett. Ich hab 75 Seiten gelesen und die ganze Zeit gedacht: Dieses Buch ist das Papier nicht wert auf dem es gedruckt wurde. Klarer Anwärter für die "goldene Himbeere". Von der ersten Seite an weiß man wie es ausgeht und es wirft mit üblen Klischees nur so um sich.
Ich gebe den Titel hier ein und stelle fest - angeblich habe ich dieses Buch schon 2011 gelesen. Ich kann mich absolut nicht daran erinnern und das ist auch gut so. Ich werde jetzt also abbrechen und das Buch umbewerten. Mehr als einen Stern kann es einfach nicht verdient haben.
Schöne Grüße an mein 5 Jahre jüngeres Ich: Dat Buch ist Mist. Warum hast du damals 3 (!!) Sterne gegeben. Das ist doch peinlich! Weg mit dem Scheiß.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just joined a book club with friends and this was the book they chose to read. I thought this book was an easy read and while I was reading, I have to admit that I wanted to know what happened next, but overall I was disappointed with the experience.

Perhaps "chick lit" isn't really my thing. Or perhaps my expectations for my first book that could really fall into this category were not realistic. I was expecting this book to tug at my girlie heart strings and take me on an emotional roller coaster of tears and laughter and leave me with an over all feel-good sense. But this book did none of that for me.

I never really felt any sense of connection to the main character. She just seemed so.... average and one-dimensional. I never really felt emotionally invested in any of characters; there was never a moment even close to making me think about crying (and I cried during Harry Potter books!). I felt that the resolution of the main plot (how to change someone's life) was disappointing and predictable. I was also disappointed with how the romantic aspect of the novel was concluded. (SPOILER ALERT: I thought the main take away from the novel was that June was supposed to be this changed woman; she finished what she started and started recognizing her actual desires and goals. At the end of the book, she becomes romantically involved with... Martucci?! The guy that she and friends lambasted earlier in the novel for being a douche bag and a skeez. Nothing about him really changed, except that superficially he got a hair cut. It just seems like she decided to settle because someone was giving her attention.)

There were a few kind of funny moments here and there, but this was definitely not a book for me.

[Book Concierge · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the book jacket: After a car accident in which her passenger, Marissa, dies, June Parker finds herself in possession of a list Marissa has written: “20 Things to Do By My 25th Birthday.” The tasks range from inspiring (run a 5K) to daring (go braless) to near-impossible (change someone’s life). To assuage her guilt, June races to achieve each goal herself before the deadline, learning more about her own life than she ever bargained for.

My reactions:
It was about what I expected. I was not a big fan of the main character, June, who really seemed to have her priorities backwards. As she worked to complete Marissa’s list it really became all about HER, not about honoring Marissa. I also wasn’t much of a fan of most of June’s friends. And I really didn’t like how the relationship with a young girl she is supposedly mentoring played out.

Still, the plot moved forward and there were some situations that really captured my attention and kept me reading, as well as scenes that were quite entertaining. All told, it was fine, just not stellar.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jill Smolinski's The Next Thing On My List isn't anywhere near the sobfest you would expect it to be, considering our narrator is completing tasks dreamed up by a dead woman. It's actually an incredibly entertaining, heartwarming and inspirational novel that had me flipping the pages from day one.

The strength of book, for me, came in the form of June and Smolinski's sense of humor, which was pitch-perfect. Any off-color jokes would certainly have not been well-received by the audience -- me -- but we never got that point. The Next Thing On My List struck the perfect balance between remembering Marissa and her life while still allowing the characters to grow and move on. When we could have easily become mired in a depressing tale, Smolinski's humorous and fast-paced writing kept us moving forward. I laughed out loud so many times in the book, dog-earing pages with quotes I wanted to remember.

Smolinski also did a great job of balancing June's personal life with what she does at work -- which is where most of us spend all our time, anyway. For once, June isn't a publicist or a magazine editor or a New York City fashion maven; she's a copywriter for an L.A.-based group which encourages carpooling as a way to cut down on traffic. I surely appreciated the change of pace and enjoyed reading about the world of advertising. June's coworkers were all very funny, fleshed-out folks, too. Nothing kills a novel faster for me than a dry, one-dimensional ensemble.

Fans of women's fiction will enjoy June's adventures and maybe shed a tear or two (I won't judge). And more than anything, what I took away from the novel was this: live your life to the fullest. Create lists. Fall in love. Get scared. Don't hide from your feelings. We get one shot, one opportunity, one moment to shape our own lives -- so jump in and take it.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, probably because I'm a list maker myself. I thought it was funny and entertaining, plus an easy read that I got through in a day.

June embarks on a life-changing mission to complete the list of an almost stranger-Marissa-who was killed in a car accident where June was the driver. The list, "20 Things To Do By My 25th Birthday", had some quirky items--go braless, eat ice cream in public--but had some poignant entries as well.

Though a decade older, June found herself immersed in a stranger's life, trying to complete this list before the deadline.

I thought the writer infused the story with just enough sarcasm and my kind of humor I could almost believe it was me in the story. The story made me wonder what it would be like to take on someone else's life list and try to complete some of the tasks. Would they be things I'd be interested in doing? Would it be stuff I hadn't ever even thought of? It was a very compelling thought.

I'd recommend this to someone looking for a good, short, easy read.

[Holly · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was chosen as a reader's choice at my library. Usually I find new treasures that way. This book was crude, crass, and made me feel like there was not much hope for the general populace. The author chose a fun theme, that of lists to do before you die type of thing with a Magnificent Obsession twist, but don't waste your list on this one. Life is too short.

[Diana S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a re-read for me. In fact, I've read this book several times with other book clubs. I thought it might it nice to hear the audio book. I loved the whole concept of the book. A matter of fact, this book has inspired several friends and I to have our own lists. This is my third year. 20 Things To Do Before The End Of The Year. I've had so much fun each year. :) I give this book 4.5 stars***.

[Marla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable audiobook. June is in an accident and her passenger is killed. June finds a 20 things to do before my 25th birthday and decides to complete the unchecked items for the dead girl, Marissa. Along the way she learns things about herself and changes. Well worth the read.

[Carole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Even chuckled several times out loud. The main character seemed to behave a little young for a 34 year old. But still I enjoyed it.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly if I didn’t read this when I was younger I probably wouldn’t have liked it that much. I really liked June and thought she was funny. I also love this concept and I kind of want to make a list now. One thing I didn’t like is I just feel like the people of different races were Stereotypical and kind of gave me racist vibes.

[Bettina_kPunkt · Rating 4 out of 5]

eine ganz süße Geschichte

[Caprise Satterfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute rom-com type of story. A bit predictable as one thing constantly lined up for the next, but enjoyable none the less.

[Milissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Spoilers* There were moments in the story that I would rate 5 stars quickly followed by moments that earned 0 stars. In the end, there seemed to be more that bugged me than I loved. I liked the premise of the book...and this book certainly made me think (which is a BIG deal to me.) But some things were just too unbelieveable (the family seemed too forgiving and at peace too early after the loss, one character is painted as a creepy/unattractive guy for the first 95% of the book and then turns into the good guy/desired love interest in literally the last 3 pages.) Some things just didn't feel right to me(the terrible boss is fired for literally no reason...a scapegoat after a work project gone wrong...although this person was painted as a terrible boss and probably should not have been in that role, I thought it was weird the characters didn't question the morality of why she was fired and wanted to stay at that company/continue to work for that CEO when they knew the truth.) I should just stop here as it seems that I didn't really like the characters. I know in real life people are not perfect so I do not expect perfect characters in books either, but you don't have to write a perfect character to write someone believeable and likeable. In this book, only the characters you didn't know well were believeable and likeable, all the main characters were believeable OR likeable. On the positive side, it was a quick read with a couple of laugh out loud moments and thoughful moments in a mostly cringe-worthy story.

[Debbie Godowsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

June Parker's life is changed overnight when the passenger of her car, 24 year old Marissa, is thrown from the vehicle and killed. In the aftermath, June comes across a list that Marissa had been carrying in her purse: "20 Things to Do Before My 25th Birthday".

Seeing that just two items have been crossed off(#1: Lose 100 pounds and #4: Wear sexy shoes), June sets out to complete the list by Marissa's 25th birthday in six months. The list is covers it all from #6: Dare to go braless to #10: ride in a helicopter to #3: Change someone's life - Some obviously easier to accomplish than others. Then there's a bit of mystery. #7: Make Buddy Fitch pay. Who is Buddy Fitch and what did he do to make Marissa want to add revenge to the list?

There's laugh out loud parts and teary parts. (At least for me, but neither takes much effort!)

This is a great light read for the summer. Witty and touching. And certainly, it can't help but make you want to put a list together of your own.

[Juli Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gobbled this story up in a day, just what I needed!

Maybe I was able to relate a little too well with the main character, June, but this story made me want to look closer at the direction of my own life. It made me want to get out of my comfort zone, to make a difference in another person's life. This was a terrific feel good story about taking control of your destiny and making your dreams come true. This book makes me want to write out a list of my own. Perhaps I will. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone, especially if you're in a dark place in your life. Sometimes it feels like you're drowning in mediocrity. I only wish there were more books to read like this one when those dark times come around.

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has the spunk and energy of a Janet Evanovich book . . . in fact, now that I think about it, this is like a West Coast Stephanie Plum. Instead of sizzling Ranger the bounty hunter, we have sizzling Runner the massage therapist . . . instead of the hot Italian Morelli, we have Martucci . . . instead of sexily-clad sidekick Lula, we have sexily-clad sidekick Brie. The doughnuts were the same on both coasts.
All that said, this book sneaks up on you with a surprisingly meaningful and thoughtful story.

[Pati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks, Michelle, I enjoyed this one. About a girl who got into a car accident with someone in the car that she had just met at a weight watchers meeting. The passenger died and had left a list of things she wanted to do and the driver felt so guilty, she decided to do everything that was on the list. Not an easy thing to do...

[Bethany · Rating 1 out of 5]

The premise of the book is amazing, but it stops there. I think this novel could have been so much more. Instead it was full of shallow characters who's motivations and actions were pathetic. I was disappointed. And honestly, the morals of the women in this book were non-existent. It was depressing to think that's how women think they should be/act.

[Omaira · Rating 5 out of 5]

"No es una historia que te deje en shock, tampoco es de esas con giros argumentales trepidantes, pero tiene cierta magia en su narración y lo que sucede es tan fácil que pueda ser verdad, que no puedes evitar quedar atrapado en su lectura".

Reseña completa: http://entrelalecturayelcine.blogspot...

[Jules · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this for a book club. This should be the last book on your list.
Predictable, shallow, sexist and constantly degrading women.
This book gives us a recipe for taco soup... but also tells us the recipe for a successful career and love life as a women is: Boobs, tight clothing and weight watchers.
Don’t waste your time.

[Nadine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book!!! It was a light, easy read but still managed to have a lot of depth. I found it relatable which made it even more fun to read. Oh and there are tons of laugh out loud moments, which I love!

[Destiny Capron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this book and I am usually not one too like these types of books. I enjoyed the outline and how the main character tried to complete the list for the deceased character. It showed that there are good people in the world.

[Sana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was entertaining but a little too coarse for my taste. The author tried to create an unexpected ending but her plan did not work so we are left with several meaningless untied story threads.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd had a rough day. It included being with someone as they died, which is kind of my job. I picked this book because it felt appropriate. June is in a car accident. Through no fault of her own, she lives and another girl, a girl she really didn't even know, died. In sorting through the things in her car after she gets out of the hospital, June finds the girl's purse. In the purse is a list of 20 things she wants to do before her 25th birthday. So June decides to work through the list.

An easy, unassuming book by a decent writer, it was the right choice for my day. And night. And a little of the next day. Yep. Finished it first thing this snowy, rainy morning. The things on the list were odd, interesting. I thought of making my own list, but I realized that I basically just HAD "written" my own list, as I had started thinking about some serious changes I am making in my X years before retirement life. I'm doing okay with my list.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book almost had three stars from me, but the ending was just awful. Very fluffy story, despite having kind of a dark premise, and though the list became annoying, it definitely did give a solid structure for the at times convoluted plot line. A fun read, and I won't spoil it, but, again, dude, the end. SO BAD. Just two stars.

[Lashawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought what June set out to due was great. This story forced me to look at my own life in greater detail. It made me want to leave my comfort zone to make a difference in the life of another person. It was a wonderful feeling of good story about taking hold of your life and realizing your dreams. This book makes me want to write my own list. Maybe I will. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone. I wish there were more books to read like this one.