AtmosphereAtmosphere
What it's about
Joan Goodwin has loved the stars all her life, and in 1980, as a reserved physics professor in Houston, she's chosen as one of the first women to train for NASA's space shuttle program. Alongside a close-knit group of fellow candidates she pushes herself through grueling training and the sexism of the agency, and finds an unexpected love that she has to keep secret. Then a mission goes wrong, and everything she's built is tested.
Why it's worth reading
Taylor Jenkins Reid combines a love story with a vivid, inspiring portrait of the women who fought to get into space. It's emotional, fast and won the Goodreads Choice Award for historical fiction.
You'll love it if you liked
Lessons in Chemistry
The Women
The Frozen RiverGood to know
It moves between the training years and a crisis in 1984, so you know early that something goes wrong. It deals with homophobia of the era.
By the numbers
- Readers84 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller80 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz63 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #11 of the 233 romances we rank
- #16 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #21 of the 481 new books we rank
- #122 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Adventurous
More by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Daisy Jones & the Six
Carrie Soto Is Back
Malibu RisingIf you like this, read next
Outlander
Shades of Milk and Honey
The Everlasting
Cloud Cuckoo Land
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
BabelExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Atmosphere worth reading?
Yes. Taylor Jenkins Reid combines a love story with a vivid, inspiring portrait of the women who fought to get into space. It ranks #122 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 85.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Atmosphere about?
Joan Goodwin has loved the stars all her life, and in 1980, as a reserved physics professor in Houston, she's chosen as one of the first women to train for NASA's space shuttle program. Alongside a close-knit group of fellow candidates she pushes herself through grueling training and the sexism of the agency, and finds an unexpected love that she has to keep secret. Then a mission goes wrong, and everything she's built is tested.
How long does it take to read Atmosphere?
About 9 hours (352 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Atmosphere won?
Goodreads Choice (historical fiction) winner (2025).
What should I read after Atmosphere?
If you liked it, try Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, The Women by Kristin Hannah or The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon.