The Next Best Thing

A Novel

By: Jennifer Weiner

Narrated by: Olivia Thirlby

Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Weiner returns with an irresistible story about a young woman trying to make it in Hollywood....

At 23, Ruth Saunders headed west with her 70-year-old grandma in tow, hoping to be hired as a television writer. Four years later, she's hit the jackpot when she gets The Call: the sitcom she wrote, The Next Big Thing, has gotten the green light, and Ruthie's going to be the show-runner. But her dreams of Hollywood happiness are threatened by demanding actors, number-crunching executives, an unrequited crush on a boss, and her grandmother's impending nuptials.

Set against the fascinating backdrop of Los Angeles show-business culture, with an insider's ear and eye for writer's rooms, bad behavior backstage, and set politics, Jennifer Weiner's new novel is a rollicking ride on the Hollywood rollercoaster and a heartfelt story about what it's like for a young woman to love, and lose, in the land where dreams come true.

©2012 Jennifer Weiner, Inc. (P)2012 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A writer of innate brilliance." ( The Philadelphia Inquirer)

"Jennifer Weiner's best-selling novels twist humor and topical issues into can't-put-down stories." ( Houston Chronicle)

"Hilarious, heartbreaking, and insightful, Weiner shows she can write with exquisite tenderness as well as humor." ( The Miami Herald)

Great story, great narrator!

What made the experience of listening to The Next Best Thing the most enjoyable?

Olivia Thirbly was a great voice for the main character, Ruthie. She didn't overact or ham it up, like many tend to do. She kind of gave it to us straight, in a good way. Her voice made me sympathize with the character without feeling sorry for her or pitying her.

This is definitely a summer, chick-lit book, but with substance. The usual non-sense, reality suspending scenarios that you usually find in a chick-lit book are missing here and thank goodness!

We get an insiders look into making it in Hollywood, getting a tv show produced and being a writer. The characters were well written and had believable relationships. The dialogue felt real--this is how real people talk and express themselves.
Would definitely recommend.

The Next Best Thing

This book was so wonderful it left me wanting more. Maybe Jennifer Weiner could write a little follow up including Ruth and Dave’s wedding. xoxo

Excellent Book

What made the experience of listening to The Next Best Thing the most enjoyable?

Loved this story & the narrator was AMAZING!

What does Olivia Thirlby bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I loved her! She made me feel like I was the main character.

Enjoyable

I enjoyed the story and the narrator was very good. Will listen to more by this author as well as would listen to the narrator again.

Awesome book what a great escape from everyday!

If you could sum up The Next Best Thing in three words, what would they be?

Story is great and the narrator was perfect as Ruth Saunders. I wish she would narrate more books!! I have always loved Jennifer Weinner every since good in bed.
I will definately pick another one of hers next!! Funny engaging and well worth the time.

Have you listened to any of Olivia Thirlby’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I don't think she has any others.

Fun Read

What did you love best about The Next Best Thing?

I enjoyed learning about the writing industry in Hollywood.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Next Best Thing?

I liked reading about how a writer can have one idea on their script and the studio has another. The studios usually wins, according to this novel.

Which character – as performed by Olivia Thirlby – was your favorite?

I enjoyed Ruth's character. She was honest.

Any additional comments?

This is a quick read with a happy ending, typical of Jennifer Weiner.

New favorite narrator!

What did you love best about The Next Best Thing?

The romance, the relationship between Ruthie and her grandma.

What does Olivia Thirlby bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She gives different voices to the characters; she pronounces words I didn't know how to pronounce. Now I know how to pronounce chignon!

A great story

Loved it. Narration was great, story was great and I am a sucker for a brave girl and a happy ending.

Whiny and surprisingly mean-spirited

Except for the surprise ending (which in hindsight was fully in line with the deus ex machina approach of this author), I couldn't find much to like about this book. I'm all for an author rooting for her main character, but when the narrative is so clearly partial to the heroine, the readers find it hard to sympathize with that character (why even bother when the author goes out of her way to accommodate her), and even more so when the heroine is so whiny, mean-spirited (all the while rationalizing her own bigotry), and a borderline stalker.

As for the narration, I found it tolerable but not very credible: the narrator often lapses into the very same question intonation for statements that the heroine criticizes in others.

So...much...industry...babble...

I had abandoned this book and went back to try to give it another shot since I've loved a number of Jennifer Weiner's novels. Had to abandon it yet again. The book involves the television industry and she spends a good chunk of the book describing the process of writing and producing a television show in painstaking detail. If this is an area of great interest to you, by all means, pick it up. However, for me, the description of the biz significantly slowed down the action in the story enough to make me toss it.

I also had a difficult time with the incredibly whiny main character, Ruth. She is just so damned mopey and broken to a point beyond empathy. Also, she seems a little creepy and stalkerish as she creates relationships in her head with fellas who have shown no interest in her whatsoever.

The narrator only added velocity to my mental pitching of this book. She sounds like a fairly young person who hasn't quite got the hang of adding important inflections here and there. She mispronounces words. And you know? When certain young women? End statements with a high-pitched questioning voice? Drove me bonkers.

Did not like.