"The Next Thing On My List", by Jill Smolinski. New York : Shaye Areheart Books, 2007.

It was an accident. A dresser fell off a truck on the freeway. In swerving to avoid it, June crashed her car, killing her passenger. After attending the funeral, she discovered her passenger's list of "20 things to do before my 25th birthday." Ridden by guilt, she resolves to complete all remaining tasks by Marissa's birthday, the first having already been achieved: lose 100 lbs. The others are not so easy: change someone's life, kiss a stranger, run a 5k race, make Buddy Fitch pay ...

June is witty, sympathetic, charming, and very real - we become ever more invested in rooting for the success of this woman, who, in completing Marissa's list, actually learns more about herself. The other characters grow throughout the book from two- to three-dimensional people I'd like to know, because the author manages to avoid creating the stereotypical characters that are often associated with humorous works.

I finished the novel with an urge to re-evaluate my life and create my own list.