While I found some interesting insights in this book, I was thinking it would be more an in-depth learning (with theories from different professionals) about how to make plans and realize dreams we have step by step. And this book is more or less this in a way, but it's written as the story of the author telling her project with some " and now your turn" section. Thank you Carpenter's Son Publishing/Clovercroft Publishing | Clovercroft Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I thought this was going to be more of an advice-type book, not a memoir. I tried to relate/connect, but I didn't. I like an extremely niche type of memoir, and this isn't it. I would've preferred the description to be clearer. This book doesn't feel "like a conversation with a good friend"...unless it's the neurotypical version of that. 🤷‍♀️

It was refreshing to read Do the Next New Thing, a new book about embracing unknowns and being a lifelong learner willing to try new things, at any age.

“Like a conversation with a good friend, this book is full of observations of what might just happen when you take a step back, embrace uncertainty, and let go of control.”

I’ve gotten better at accepting uncertainty since the pandemic years (when many of us were forced to, whether we embraced it at the time or not), but there’s always room for improvement.

I enjoyed following Pam’s journey when she moved from Texas to Nashville, determined to explore new places, try new activities, and make new friends. Pam’s story is positive and encouraging, and Do the Next New Thing full of good reminders for anyone open to embracing change in a digestible way.

Do the Next New Thing by @pamelalamp2 a wonderful book about finding new interests and friends after a major life transition. Empty-nester Pamela is already looking for her new "IT" when she is presented with the challenge of moving away from her hometown. Her husband gets a new job, and when he tries to "commute" from their home in Houston to his job in Nashville, it puts a huge strain on their marriage. After 20 years of building her life in Houston, the couple decides it's time to move together to Nashville, a new city in which Pamela has no friends, and no other family.

Upon moving, Pamela realizes she really does need to find new things to do and new people to connect with, but how? Where to start and how to proceed? She learns from a Nashville psychologist that doing small, new activities can mitigate anxiety and depression.

"And the lightbulb moment, in the middle of the night...." It came to her that she would do one new thing each day, to get to know Nashville, make new friends, and find her passions.

"In this new city in my new condo, I want a new start. And I want special."

In the pages that follow, Pamela offers many suggestions on how to get connected to new people, places and activities. She learns how to handle worries, gains new interests, makes friends, and launches some new avocations.

I found Do the Next New Thing super inspiring. Pamela's experiences and recommendations propelled me to find some new friends and reach out to some acquaintances in my town. I am also trying some fun new things that I might not have even dreamed of doing before reading the book. I highly recommend Do the Next New Thing to anyone experiencing new life transitions, or to anyone who wants to shake things up a bit in their lives in order to become more open and more interesting, and to grow as a person.

Love Pam's advice! Highly recommend, especially to those of us who have been stay-at-home moms and are looking for what to do next in our lives. It gave me a lot of inspiration and ideas!

I gave this book 4 stars. I picked this book up based on both the title and the blurb, which both caught my attention right away. I really enjoyed reading this book, it gave me more insight into doing the most that you can in your life and trying to overcome challenges and the anxiety and the "what ifs" people have when it comes to trying new things. The book and author have both inspired me to try and do the same, where I try new things for a period of time and hopefully continue doing this throughout my life. I liked how the chapters were short and there were sections, which personally makes it easier for me to read and digest the information. Definitely a thoughtful and eye opening book for me and would recommend for anyone who likes self help and looking to try and make the most out of life by trying new things, whether it be small or big.


I would like to say that I was kindly given this book for free, however all opinions are my own.

Author Pamela Lamp's Do the Next New Thing is not the kind of book I would normally read but I found it enlightening. She explains how she coped with many changes by challenging herself to just do the next new thing on her long list to help herself find meaning and purpose after moving to a new city. Her writing is easy to read and her suggestions are good!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book and it found me at a time when I needed inspiration and motivation. Pam's honesty and her warm, conversational tone make this such a quick, engaging read. I've been a fan of her newsletter and podcast (https://whoimettoday.com/) for a while and always look forward to Pam's recommendations.

Do the Next New Thing is the perfect gift for friends and family who are hoping to break out of a rut or who've moved to a new area and need a little nudge to get out there and enjoy. Thanks, Pam! I hope there's a sequel so we can see what you do next!

I really enjoyed this. This book encourages you to embrace a sense of fun and purpose through the authors own personal examples of living in a new city. This is a short and uplifting book, as someone who often struggles with feeling stagnant even at a young age I found that it really spoke to me and I liked the idea of trying one new thing every day to find purpose. As an avid reader I liked how each chapter started with a quote from popular books!

Isn’t it fun when a book speaks to you?

Author Pamela Lamp documents her year of trying one new thing per day in order to find new purpose to her second half of life. I can relate to being at a crossroads in life, and enjoyed reading about her journey. I have heard several of her ideas before: i.e. start by writing a list of things you want to see and do, use your good China, make time for play, but, she breaks them into digestible steps with personal examples. One tip I particularly liked was: stay open to new thoughts, people, food and books or you’ll become rigid. I also liked how she uses quotes from popular books (most I’ve read!) to start each chapter. My favorite was: “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” -C. S. Lewis
Ultimately she realizes, in addition to finding her sense of purpose, that she needs to continue to be intentional about trying new things so she doesn’t go back to old habits. I would definitely recommend this quick, insightful self-help book to anyone at a new stage in life or looking for a way to shake up their current life.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Clovercroft Publishing for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

It is a short book that packs a powerful punch. It deeply touched my heart, more so than many longer reads. The author takes us along on her journey to discover her "IT"—her passion and purpose, the activities that make life joyful and fulfilling.

She shares the joy of letting go—whether it’s fear, perfection, worry, or the opinions of others. This book is a breath of fresh air, encouraging us to relax, lighten up, and live without constraints.

We all hit moments in life where we feel lost—moving, losing something, or just facing life’s dynamics. The author’s daily journey is something we can all relate to, motivating us to find our own fun and purpose. This book will touch your heart and inspire you to discover your "IT."

I really enjoyed Pam Lamp’s new book, Do The Next New Thing.. Lamp chronicles her experiences after making a commitment to herself to try one new thing each day for a year — a life-changing decision that had a positive impact on her sense of self and on her relationships.

So many things about the book spoke to me. Early on, Lamp talks about having an empty nest after many years of being a stay-at-home mom, and her desire to find the “thing” that will excite and engage her in the new stage of her life. While I’ve worked throughout my kids’ lives, the prospect of the empty nest looms, and I can relate to the uncertainty about the next chapter. Particularly because I’ve long been someone who isn’t great at identifying my future goals — or at making changes. I’ve been looking to try some new things myself, and Lamp has really inspired me to get moving! I also loved the quotes, primarily from novels, that open each chapter. So many of the books referenced are ones I’ve read and loved…I need to go back and make a list of the others and add them to my TBR list. (Does reading a new book count as a new thing? 🙃)

This is a great, quick read for anyone looking for a little inspiration and the motivation to make a life change — from something as small as trying a new place for lunch to something much bigger!

This book was interesting but not something that I would have to add to my book collection. I'm sure there will people who will really connect with this book.

I don't believe I was the target demographic for this book, however I still found it relatable to my own life and got lots of ideas for things I can try.

I read this book in 2 sittings. It really moves and is an appropriate length. Other books in the self-help genre turn what could have been a blog post into a book. This was not the case with Do the Next New Thing.

There's a great message here that I think lots of people will find helpful. It's easy to get stuck in a rut but much harder to find your way out. Maybe I was the target demographic after all!

I enjoyed reading Do the Next New Thing by Pamela Lamp. I found it to be relatable as to when my kids were going off to college, and I thought about what was going to be my next thing. I needed to figure out what to do that would give me a sense of purpose, challenge me to learn new things, and bring joy to my life. I think there are so many people who feel the same way, and may be stuck. This book will help them to see they are not alone, and maybe give them some direction. I was inspired that the author used her situation to challenge herself into learning new things, and meeting new people. She was then able to push herself further to start writing a blog, start a podcast and ultimately fulfilling a desire to write a book. It shows that even starting with something small can lead to an even greater purpose.

I like how this book has the author’s experiences and some helpful tips at each chapter. The book is a short read. Explaining about how life challenges can be.

I wanted to think the publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and do a review.

Have you ever felt like you were missing something in your life? Had a desire to learn new things? Make more friends? This is the book for you. Podcaster and debut author Pam Lamp moved to a new city and, in looking for friends and new experiences, she embarked on a year-long journey of self discovery and fulfillment, trying something each day that she hadn’t before. I found this concept quite compelling.

I don’t often read self-help books, but I found inspiration in these pages. Especially if you are at a new stage of life, middle-age, in particular, and are looking for ideas and activities to mix things up from day to day. She has some great suggestions. Check out her book publishing August 6th!

Special thanks to the author and NetGalley for the advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.25/5 stars

Do the Next Thing was such an engaging and thought-provoking book! It is charming and insightful, a beautiful combination of light on the surface with depth below. Pam Lamp uses her personal journey, told in a disarmingly honest and self-deprecating way, to help readers look at their own lives differently, look clearly at what they might need to conquer, and then take ambitious but achievable steps to become happier and healthier. She helped me see with new eyes that life is a one-way journey and we have to own our own direction - and that's true whether you're in crisis or you just believe that we should never be finished with learning and evolving as humans. We have choices about what we do next, and even the smallest ones contribute to our happiness and fulfillment. The ultimate test? I keep thinking about this book and looking at my path in life differently than I did before I read it. Highly recommend!

I loved this book & the relatable way Pam speaks about her experiences. It has motivated me to change the way I live my life!

In this deceptively short book, Pam challenges us (perhaps especially those in “middle age”) not to lose our zeal, sense of fun and our purpose. She does this by sharing her year of doing new things in a new-to-her city. She fills the book with humor and sage advice. It is a book that is easy to read but one I found myself highlighting and re-reading. This is a book to buy and share joyfully!

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy.