Wendy recently finished Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid and it definitely lived up to all the hype.
Multiple people recommended it and so it jumped to the top of the list.
I read the e-book version of this (while on the Peloton bike, actually — definitely try that out if you can!) and I never wanted to exercise so much in my life. I didn’t want to stop reading this.
The book focuses on a group of NASA astronauts in the early 1980s, including some of the first female astronaut trainees. The book goes back and forth from a mission in space and years earlier as they go through the ups and downs of training. Our main character, Joan, is tough and up to the challenge of proving herself as an astronaut, and, more specifically, as a female astronaut in more conservative times.
The book teases you with thrilling action moments where you’re screaming at the lines in front of you with worry and concern and then takes you to softer moments where queer relationships are put in the forefront. I loved the way that the love story was told and I so appreciate the emphasis on really sharing how much the females had to push themselves to be seen as equals to their male-identifying peers.
The last hour of reading was some of the best reading I’ve enjoyed in several years.
I remember telling a friend only like 75 or 100 pages in that I already knew this would be a five-star read. It didn’t let me down from there.
Wendy’s rating: 5 stars
Spice level: None, really (slight “fade to black” vibe)
Considerations & triggers: Death & grief, sexism, homophobia
