What do You think about The Next Thing On My List (2007)?
Something about this author’s style of writing just drew me in right from the get-go. First of all, I loved the concept of having this list that the protagonist felt compelled to complete, (even if she didn’t exactly feel compelled in the beginning) to make up for her role in Marissa’s death. What becomes an obligatory list of tasks becomes a life changing experience for June. Not all of the tasks on the list were necessarily huge, life changing events in themselves, (eating ice cream outdoors, for example) but the combination of things made June appreciate her own life just that much more, and made for a very intriguing story.In addition, even though Marissa was dead, I found myself wishing I knew more about her; wishing there was a prequel starring Marissa before her ultimate fate. And for the record, no, this book is not perfect, but I enjoyed it so much that I felt it deserved 5 stars.Ultimately, this book inspired me to make a 25 Before 25 List of my own. When a book leaves you with something afterward, it just goes to show what a good book it was! Can't say that about many others.
—Cassandra
I did like this book. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. I really liked the idea of June wanting to finish Marissa's list of things to do before she turned 25- after Marissa dies in a car accident. I do feel disappointed, however, that the author didn't do so much more with it. I know the list was more in celebration of her 100 lb. weight loss, and so Marissa wanted to do fun things that they didn't feel she could do while overweight, but I would have liked the list to have more meaning and depth. And for June to have more sincerity in wanting to complete it- not to be doing it as a cop out! There were a couple scenes that were completely unnecessary, too. I liked it- but it could have been so much better
—Ali
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.
—Meg
