Atmosphere

What Atmosphere is about

Joan Goodwin is an astronomy professor at Rice University who, in 1980, is accepted into NASA's Space Shuttle program. Most of the novel follows her life in the years before a disaster on December 29, 1984, when a malfunction aboard the shuttle Navigator leaves three of five astronauts dead. From mission control, Joan serves as CAPCOM and tries to talk the one astronaut able to respond, Vanessa Ford, toward a safe landing.

The earlier chapters show how these two women came to matter so much to each other. Joan and Vanessa begin a relationship but hide it, afraid homophobia would end their careers. Joan is also pulled toward home, where her unreliable sister Barbara leans on her to help with her daughter Frances. As both women are chosen for launches about a month apart in late 1984, the story asks what love, work and family demand of a person. It is a historical romance for readers who like space history and emotional stakes in equal measure.

Questions about Atmosphere

When was Atmosphere published?

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid was first published in 2025.

Was Atmosphere one of the best books of 2025?

Atmosphere is #3 on BookWard's Best Books of 2025, out of 30 2025 books that cleared our data bar. 300 readers have shelved it on Open Library; its Wikipedia page averaged 13,490 views a month recently.

Why is Atmosphere on the Best Books of 2025 list?

300 readers have shelved it on Open Library; its Wikipedia page averaged 13,490 views a month recently.

More of the best books of 2025

• The Secret of Secrets Dan Brown, #1
• Katabasis R. F. Kuang, #2
• Onyx Storm Rebecca Yarros, #4
• If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies Eliezer Yudkowsky, #5
• Wild Dark Shore Charlotte McConaghy, #6
• Abundance Ezra Klein, #7

See the full Best Books of 2025, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.