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I recently read “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and, long story short: I really enjoyed it!
I wasn’t going to read this one; I feel like Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books are hit-or-miss for me.
I read “Carrie Soto is Back” in 2023 and loved that one, but I really didn’t like “Daisy Jones & the Six.”
But I saw “Atmosphere” available at the library, and had only heard good things about it, so I decided to check it out. And, I’m so glad I did!
This book follows Joan Goodwin, a professor of physics and astronomy, as she decides to enter NASA’s space shuttle program. During the summer of 1980, she began training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center.
The astronauts become friends (even though they are competing against each other), but even within these connections, Joan discovers a passion that has her questioning everything.
The ending of the book is exciting and fast-paced, and it sent me on a roller coaster of emotions! I’ll also say, I coincidentally finished reading this book the same weekend as the Artemis II splashed down after their 10-day mission!
There were two quotes I made note of in the book that I’ll share:
Joan knew that society was changing and some men were changing with it. Some of them now understood that a woman’s career, her life, her passions were just as important as their own. But still, all Joan could think was that it was now just two people cutting off parts of themselves to make themselves fit together. A world of vegetarians cooking meatloaf.
Listen. It’s okay. We asked for so much, didn’t we? We wanted to touch the stars, and look what we did. There’s nothing more we could ask from the universe, or this God you always talk about, than that. So it’s okay. It’s fine. Okay, Joan? For me, as long as you all know what you meant to me, it all worked out fine.
I really enjoyed the time period this book was set in (it’s important, but I don’t want to say why), and I thought all the information about being an astronaut (and the female angle) was incredibly interesting!
I’m curious if you’ve read it and if so, what you thought of it.
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