The Life List: A Novel

BOOK REVIEW THE LIFE LIST by Lori Nelson Spielman Oh my gosh, this book should be on everyone's reading list. It is so very special, poignant and thought provoking. Truly. Once I began reading I could not put it down. It has become my all time favorite book. It story begins with the passing of Brett Bohlinger's mother, a highly successful business woman. Brett expects to inherit her mother's business and become the new CEO of the cosmetics company she founded. Instead what she receives is a list of goals that she wrote at the age of fourteen, and yes, her mother saved it and it seems that her mother thought she had a better understanding of her daughter and what would make her life a happy and fulfilled one. At the reading of the will Brett is given this list along with instructions that she is to complete every single one of her goals within a year in order to receive her inheritance. As each goal is accomplished she is given a letter written by her mom before her death. The letters give a full explanation as to why that goal was significant for Brett. Some of the goals are meant to fulfill childhood dreams while others are meant to challenge Brett's emotional needs and give her what she has been longing for so that she is able to find her truth for a happy and joyful life. While trying to accomplish each goal Brett also uncovers some secrets that answer questions she has had since childhood. The letters are all intrinsic to the story and help us to better understand why her mother did what she did. All the other characters in the story play significant roles because it is through them that Brett is able to accomplish “The Life List” which we the reader see ultimately change her life forever. I was glad I had a box of Kleenex next to me because the story is bittersweet in places as we follow Brett on her personal journey to finding herself and the life she was meant to live. WOW, is all I have to say. Until next time.....booksraddicting.com

I loved the premise of the book which led me to buy it, that and for the first time ever I created a life list similar to the one in the book. I was actually looking for a book or journal which would let me list my long term and short term goals, and I stumbled upon this.I thought why not, since this year would mark my first ever time I made a Life List for myself and I though this would be a good book to read to help motivate me with my own life list. It was a bit hard for me to get into the story at first bit after the first hundred pages I started liking what I was reading even more. The book really has something about it that makes you think, especially for those who abandoned their childhood dreams at an early age. (Spolier alert, do not read at all if you don't want to spoil the plot for reading) The main character, Brett has her work (and her life) cut out for her upon the death of her mother, and with it her expectations to inherit her mother's position as CEO and the life she thought she wanted. Instead she get's a surprise that completely and literally turns both her world and her attitude of life upside down - She needs to complete a set of wishes she had made as a fourteen year old teenager in order to get any share of inheritance from her mother. Unfortunately, her mother sets a time limit, complete the list by September next year, or get nothing at all. The story follows Brett as she goes from reality, and practical based to someone more loving, kind, and tenderhearted as she tries to complete her list before the deadline. I loved reading the story, and I do agree with one reviewer, that it gets a little bit predictable, and the whirlwind romances that she included keep you guessing and hoping, but I feel as if they could have been fleshed out a bit more and that there were a little more to the ending than was given as it felt as if she was trying to end the story as fast as she could and only briefly hit the last few items on the list through good "coincidences" that left me feeling that it was a bit lacking. But if you were to ask me if I would read this book again, I would gladly say, "Yes!" For now, I give this book Four Stars!

I've been looking for a new book to read when I saw a preview of this title while scrolling Netflix and I'm definitely more of a reader than watcher. Books have way more little details than movies ever do. And this book definitely was 20x better then the movie. I'm not sure I would watch the movie again but this book I'll definitely reread many times I'm sure. Spoilers: I wasn't how the list would all play out in the end but it kept me intrigued with each one. I did cry during some of it but it all worked out how it was meant to. I couldn't put it down once I started...which made me stay up way late but I finished and was soo happy I did. I'm definitely going to recommend this book to all my friends. It was a amazing book that kept me entertained and engaged throughout the whole thing.

Elizabeth Bohlinger. an Extraordinary woman, mother, grandmother, and friend, was a remarkable woman who touched so many lives so profoundly. And now she was gone, her diagnosis and death had come so quickly. Brett, age 34, is the only one of the Bohlinger children who is single. Brett assumes she will become president of Bohlinger Cosmetics and she is not feeling confident that she can handle it. The company had become a mutltmillion dollar enterprise largely because of Catherine, Brett's sister-in-law, who was vice president and very competent with a good head for business. Brett is humiliated when the will is read and Catherine inherits her mother's shares of Bohlinger Cosmetics, making Catherine the CEO of the company. But, the biggest shock is when Brett finds out she must complete a life list before she receives her inheritance - a list of goals written by Brett when she was 14 years old - a ludicrous list that will mean major life revisions. And the story unfolds --- Brett was a lovable character with a genuine sweetness about her, but her life seemed to be lacking a basic human need called love. Her mom took a huge gamble, trying to fix Brett's life. She wanted to ensure Brett's happiness and was calling all the shots for each scene in her life by forcing Brett to venture out of her comfort zone and complete this list. Quote from the book - "There will be another sky, my love, just you wait." This beautifully structured story touched my heart. The story was brought to life by the unique characters and I enjoyed the splashes of humor spread throughout. I also felt the sadness of Brett's loss of her mother - very poignant. And all the loose ends were tied up neatly at the end. Just an incredible debut novel by an amazing writer! Most definitely a favorite for 2013 with a 5 star rating. Don't miss this one.

I watched the movie before reading the book. The movie was terrific, which was the reason I sought out the book. I knew it would be different, since movies usually are a director and a movie studio’s imagined retelling of the author’s vision. And as much as I loved the movie, the book is even better. I thought Brett’s journey through her life list in the book was so much more gratifying that I was as sad to see it end on the page while at the same time excited for her in how it all came together. This book has made me a fan of Lori Nelson Spielman, and I look forward to discovering other stories written by this talented author.

The world these days is pretty dark and disheartening, and, as if some instinct for self-preservation is kicking in, I've been finding myself drawn more to heartwarming, feel-good books--books that underscore beauty where it exists and which show the best humanity can be. "The Life List" definitely fits into this category. Brett Bohlinger walks into the reading of her mother's will expecting to be made CEO of the hugely successful cosmetics company her mother founded. Instead, she's given a "life list"--a list of goals Brett wrote for herself years ago, but now considers irrelevant. Only if she completes this list within a few months will she receive her sizable inheritance. Thus, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery that is truly beautiful to behold. It takes very little time for her inheritance to become a complete non-issue; the desire to do good things with her life takes over her motivation. The book is populated with a wonderful cast of secondary characters, some of whom we never get to know very well, others we know are connected, we just don't know quite how. I so enjoyed it. I had to impose a sizable suspension of disbelief surrounding Brett's mother's letters, but I didn't grudge it. There were threads I would have liked to have seen developed a little more thoroughly--the materialism of Brett's family, for instance--but overall, this was a wonderful book that I gobbled up in just a few days, and which I am happy to recommend.

Loved it. It made me pause to appreciate my girlfriends and how lucky I am to have them, especially my best friend who is always there for me. I had to reach out and tell her so. And I'm so lucky to have found the love of my life 46 years ago. Thanks to Lori for giving me such reflections on my own life. We all need to be reminded of what we have every once in a while. It was a very touching story full of drama, humor, joy, suspense, confusion. I loved the twists and turns. Who would Brett end up with?! I was so happy to find out Brett was adopted and hopefully she could have a loving relationship with her dad. And having a sister was such an added bonus. What a great first novel. I hated for it to end but read every moment I could to find out the ending. I'm so disappointed there is not another novel by Lori. Cant wait for her next read. Her writing really touch me.

Thirty-four year old Brett Bohlinger, grieving over the loss of her beloved mother to cancer, is stunned when the will is read. Brett's two brothers are given their share of the substantial estate with no strings attached. Brett, however, must accomplish a list of ten things within one year, or she will get nothing. This list was actually something Brett herself had written (and totally forgot about) when she was 14, and retrieved from the waste basket by her mother. What was her mother thinking?? The two of them had been so close, and now Brett feels totally blindsided. Some goals will be fairly easy to accomplish (like "Get a dog"). But, what about "Fall in love"? And, "Have a baby"? All within 365 days? You've got to be kidding! Brett was very angry and confused, but slowly, after accomplishing some of the goals on the list, she begins to appreciate her mother's wisdom. This is a feel good book. It was an enjoyable, easy read. I was thinking for sure it was a 4 star book... So why have I only given it 3 stars? I got really bored the last several chapters as she was attempting to check off the "Fall in love" requirement. The story turned from a young woman who was finding herself, to all about finding Mr. Right. I found the first search much more interesting. The book went from entertaining to mundane. Not a bad book, just a bit of a let down. If I come across another book by this author, I'll give it a try.

Netflixの新着映画の原作なので、読みました。 好みにもよりますが、私は映画よりこちらの方が、ずっとよかったです。 荒唐無稽の設定ですが、主人公が自分らしい生き方を求めていく話は、 軽い読み心地ながら、心に響くものがありよかったです。

One of the best books I have ever read

The Life List I absolutely love this book and the quality of this book cause I already watched the movie life list and i really loved the movie and after watching the movie....I ordered this book cause I absolutely loved the story ....thank you soo much ❤️✨

Libro carino, un po' diverso dal film. Buona impaginazione e lettura piacevole.

Ich habe die ganze Zeit geschwankt, ob ich 4 oder 5 Sterne geben sollte, jedoch habe ich mich für die 5 Sterne entschieden, da "Life List" ein Buch ist, welches mir noch nach dem Lesen viel Grübelei bereitet hat. Außerdem habe ich es innerhalb von einer halben Woche total verschlungen, was bei mir eigentlich immer ein Indikator für ein sehr gutes Buch ist. Natürlich hat das Buch auch seine Schwächen (teilweise etwas vorhersehbar und kitschig), allerdings gib es auch ein paar Wendungen, mit denen man nicht rechnet und insgesamt kam mir die Person der Brett ziemlich authentisch rüber. Die restlichen Personen waren allerdings nicht so ausgearbeitet, was ich sehr schade fand. Auch einige Lebensweisheiten hätte ich als Anfang 20jährige mir doch auch schon herleiten könnte, schade, dass es anscheinend Menschen gibt, die so lange dafür brauchen. Aber bekanntlich ja lieber spät als nie. Wenn man also ein ganz angenehmens, berührendes Buch lesen möchte, welches einen dennoch fesselt, zusätzlich auch noch was fürs Leben lernen möchte, der ist bei "The Life List" genau richtig!