What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedBest, First, and Last
Amy T. Matthews · Book · 2024
If you loved Best, First, and Last, start with Better Things (Pamela Adlon, 2016) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Best, First, and Last across media.
If you loved the messy, intergenerational family dynamics in Best, First, and Last, you will appreciate these nuanced explorations of female bonds.
Films on the same thread
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Olivia Newman · Film · 2026
Explores: Grief and healing, Intergenerational friendship, Hidden secrets.
Much like the grief-stricken women in Best, First, and Last, this story centers on an older woman finding connection and healing through unexpected discovery after a period of profound loss.
Terms of Endearment
James L. Brooks · Film · 1983
Shares a thread with Best, First, and Last: Intergenerational Relationships.
This classic mirrors the complex mother-daughter relationship found in Best, First, and Last, showing how two generations navigate the friction of their romantic lives while supporting each other through growth.
Materialists
Celine Song · Film · 2025
Shares a thread with Best, First, and Last: Quarter-Life Crisis.
Fans of the romantic uncertainty Heather faces in Best, First, and Last will recognize the same struggle of choosing between a past flame and a new, ambitious future path.
It Ends with Us
Justin Baldoni · Film · 2024
Shares a thread with Best, First, and Last: Self-discovery.
This film echoes the difficult choices regarding romantic partners and personal identity that define the quarter-life crisis Heather experiences throughout the narrative of Best, First, and Last.
Series on the same thread
Better Things
Pamela Adlon · Series · 2016
Explores: single motherhood, female perspective, raising teenagers.
If you enjoyed the raw, unfiltered female perspective in Best, First, and Last, you will appreciate how this show captures the messy reality of raising daughters across different generational stages.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Jenny Han · Series · 2022
Shares a thread with Best, First, and Last: Self-Discovery.
The way family secrets and evolving relationships define the summer in this series directly reflects the themes of intergenerational tension and self-discovery found in Best, First, and Last.
The Last of Us
Neil Druckmann · Series · 2023
Shares a thread with Best, First, and Last: Grief.
While the setting differs from Best, First, and Last, the core journey of a reluctant, evolving bond between two people mirrors the emotional growth found in Matthews' family narrative.
This Is Us
Dan Fogelman · Series · 2016
Shares a thread with Best, First, and Last: Intergenerational relationships.
This series expands on the intergenerational trauma and overlapping life stories that make the family dynamics in Best, First, and Last feel so deeply human and interconnected.
Podcasts on the same thread
boomer and zoomer
Podcast
Shares 2 threads with Best, First, and Last: intergenerational relationships, family dynamics.
This podcast serves as a perfect companion to Best, First, and Last, offering a real-world look at the exact father-daughter relationship dynamics and age gaps the book explores.
Glass
Podcast
Explores: infertility, family secrets, identity.
Like the women in Best, First, and Last, this personal narrative digs into the weight of family secrets and the struggle to define one's identity within a fractured lineage.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Best, First, and Last a standalone novel?
Yes, Best, First, and Last is a standalone 2024 book by Amy T. Matthews. The story focuses on 25-year-old Heather Russo and her family dynamics without any indication of a series or sequels.
What is the primary conflict for Heather Russo in Best, First, and Last?
In Best, First, and Last, Heather Russo struggles with the emotional fallout of breaking up with her boyfriend again. She feels miserable while working from home, a situation complicated by her mother and grandmother also facing their own personal crises.
Does Best, First, and Last feature other family members besides Heather?
Yes, Best, First, and Last explores the struggles of the women in Heather Russo's family. Her mother, Sandy, is going through a divorce from Heather's father, and her grandmother, Bonnie, is dealing with the grief of losing her siblings.
When was Best, First, and Last published?
The book Best, First, and Last was published in 2024. It was written by Amy T. Matthews and centers on the overlapping personal challenges faced by Heather Russo and the older generations of women in her family.