The Next Thing on My List Review

The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinski certainly has an interesting premise: June Parker is driving a virtual stranger, Marissa, home from a Weight Watchers meeting when they are involved in a major car crash and Marissa is killed.  June finds a list written by 24-year old Marissa in the car entitled "20 Things To Do by My 25th Birthday."  Because Marissa obviously cannot complete the remaining 18 items on the list, June becomes determined to finish everything off to honor her memory.

June was obviously depressed after the car crash and she waits until there are only about six months left before she gets serious about working on the list.  Some of the tasks are easy (6. Dare to go braless, 12. Try boogie boarding, 16. Get a massage, 17. Throw away bathroom scale), while others are much more challenging (3. Change someone's life, 5. Run a 5K, 15. Take (Marissa's) Mom and Grandma to see Wayne Newton, 20. Make a big donation to charity). 

During the course of the story, June meets and becomes good friends with Marissa's brother Troy.  He helps her to accomplish several of the items on his sister's list and there seems to be a possibility for something more between them... you'll have to read the book to get the rest of the story.  The Next Thing on My List isn't great literature, but it is something that you can easily read at a loud beach or a busy pool.