Chrissy’s Review: The Life List by Lori Nelson Spielman

The Life List
written by Lori Nelson Spielman
published by Bantam, 2013

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble (Nook) (print), Amazon, iBooks, Book Depository, Goodreads

Did I enjoy this book: I loved it. It was sad, happy, emotional. I experienced many emotions while reading this book.

The Life List was a story I needed. It was uplifting, sweet, romantic, happy. Brett was a character I was able to get behind from the very beginning. I loved watching Brett rediscover herself and “find” herself. Her mother was one smart lady. I couldn’t believe what she did, but it worked for Brett. It was just what Brett needed. I guess you could say that mom always knows best. I didn’t like her brother, Joad, at all. I wish I knew more about him and whether or not Brett gave it to him.

There were a few holes that I wish were filled. But those holes didn’t matter to the story as a whole. And I really wish I knew what happened between the end and the epilogue. (I’m sure that’s a feeling many of us have felt about many books.) And there were a few rather predictable parts for me. But I loved the story as a whole.

Would I recommend it: Yes, it was a great read.

About the book – from Goodreads: In this utterly charming debut — one woman sets out to complete her old list of childhood goals, and finds that her lifelong dreams lead her down a path she never expects.

1. Go to Paris
2. Perform live, on a super big stage
3. Have a baby, maybe two
4. Fall in love

Brett Bohlinger has forgotten all about the list of life goals she’d written as a naïve teenager. In fact, at thirty-four, Brett seems to have it all—a plum job at her family’s multimillion-dollar company and a spacious loft with her irresistibly handsome boyfriend. But when her beloved mother, Elizabeth, dies, Brett’s world is turned upside down. Rather than simply naming her daughter the new CEO of Bohlinger Cosmetics, Elizabeth’s will comes with one big stipulation: Brett must fulfill the list of childhood dreams she made so long ago.

Grief-stricken, Brett can barely make sense of her mother’s decision. Some of her old hopes seem impossible. How can she possibly have a relationship with a father who died seven years ago? Other dreams (Be an awesome teacher!) would require her to reinvent her entire future. For each goal attempted, her mother has left behind a bittersweet letter, offering words of wisdom, warmth, and—just when Brett needs it—tough love.

As Brett struggles to complete her abandoned life list, one thing becomes clear: Sometimes life’s sweetest gifts can be found in the most unexpected places.