The Next Thing on My List

by Jill Smolinski

Book Overview

"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 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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307351297
• ISBN13: 9780307351296
• Release Date: March 2008
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A quick - and fabulous - read!

I absolutely loved this book. It was both funny and touching, and has inspired me to start my own list! This author is right up there with Jane Green, Jennifer Weiner, and Meg Cabot. If you want a quick read that's entertaining, yet heartwarming, this is the book for you!

one of those books you miss when you're done

Imagine a 24-year-old woman who's written a list of things she's passionate about accomplishing before her next birthday. Now imagine being resposible for this woman's death. Okay, now imagine how Jill Smolinski manages to turn this idea into a laugh-out-loud funny joyride of a novel, populated with characters so endearing you wish you could hang out with them all in real life. As the main character, June Parker, confronts the boundaries of her comfort zone in order to complete the dead woman's life list, we are reminded that if you want to really live your life, taking chances isn't an option--it's essential. They're making this into a movie? Great. The helicopter scene will be hilarious.

Go skydiving. But first, read this book.

This book kept me up way too late at night -- I couldn't put it down! June Parker is living life in the slow lane. Her job -- as a writer for a carpooling agency -- is uninspiring. Her love life is nonexistent. Her biggest goal is to lose ten pounds. Following a Weight Watchers meeting her life takes a sudden, awful turn: she has a terrible car accident, and her passenger, a young woman she'd met at the meeting, is killed. June discovers a "life list" in the young woman's possession, detailing all of the things she wanted to accomplish before her twenty-fifth birthday. As a way of coming to terms with her role in the girl's death, June takes on the challenge of competing the list. The list launches June into a series of adventures -- from kissing a stranger to boogie boarding to riding in a helicopter . . . to changing someone's life. In the hands of a less skilled writer, June's progression through the list could have seemed choppy, but Smolinski crafts a tale of one woman's journey of self discovery with page-turning precision. The writing is sharp and funny, the story is original, and the characters are both flawed and believable. This warm-hearted, clever book is truly a standout.

Books into Movies

I read in The Hollywood Reporter that the producer who made The Devil Wears Prada was going to make The Next Thing On My List into a movie, so I had to read the book. The story is truly inspirational, and I challenge you to finish it without starting a list to change your life. The great thing about the story is that it is heartwarming without being sappy, and the heroine, June Parker, sounds real, like a co-worker or a friend. She's just trying to make her way in the world like we all are. Jill Smolinski's writing is smooth and funny, and you're rooting for June all the way to a satisfying end. Some of tasks on her list may seem simple, like not wearing a bra, but don't we all know someone who has struggled with that one (or should have?). I started my own life list, and I think you will, too.

A funny and engaging tale about self-discovery

Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (3/07) I think readers will agree with me that "The Next Thing on My List" is a wonderfully written heartwarming story about a woman's self-discovery that will have you hooked from the very first page. Jill Smolinski knows and understands her audience and delivers a winner with her second novel. The story centers around a 34-year-old woman, June Parker, who is living aimlessly and without passion. Her life completely changes when she attends a weight watchers meeting and offers one of the other members, Marissa a ride home. Marissa is upbeat and celebrating her 100-lb weight loss. As she is reaching into the back seat to get June her favorite taco soup recipe, the truck in front of them suddenly loses a dresser off the back. To avoid a collision with the dresser, June swerves and flips the car over. June is banged up, but okay. Marissa is not so lucky; she does not survive the car crash. After the accident, June finds a list with 20 things on it that Marissa wanted to accomplish before her 25th birthday. Only two items are crossed off - lose 100 lbs, and wear sexy shoes. June finds purpose in her life as she works on completing the other 18 items in Marissa's honor. The list includes simple things like kiss a stranger and eat ice cream in public, to more complicated items like change someone's life and pitch an idea at work. As June works on accomplishing the tasks, she finds that her life has new purpose and meaning. She realizes that she wants more from her work as a writer for a not-for-profit and works toward a promotion. Her relationships with friends and co-workers evolve as they develop a new respect for her as she completes the list. She also takes on the role of a Big Sister to Deedee who desperately needs her help through a crisis and begins to form a bond with Marissa's sexy brother Troy. The author develops the characters in a very human way that will make you fall in love with them and cheer June's progress as she works towards completing her list. Woman and teenage girls would enjoy reading "The Next Thing on My List."