Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

 

Atmosphere

By Taylor Jenkins Reid

I’ve always been fascinated by space…the planets, the stars, the pull of astrology. But my brother took it to another level. He was obsessed with NASA, absorbing everything he could about rockets and space travel. One spring break, the world’s greatest mom (mine) packed us into the car and drove to Huntsville, Alabama, for Space Camp. We suited up for a mock mission to the moon, and although the details are fuzzy now, I remember one thing clearly: my brother was ecstatic. He talked about that trip for months.

Because of that lifelong tie to space, I was excited to read Atmosphere. I’ll say upfront: it’s far more a love story than a novel about NASA, astronauts, or the cosmos. Jenkins Reid frames the book in the world of the 1980s shuttle program, touching on the uphill battle women faced in gaining acceptance within NASA, but the heart of the story happens on Earth…where a romance slowly deepens into love. The book opens with drama, then slips back in time to show how the characters arrived at that pivotal moment.

One quote in particular stuck with me:

“I was circling two hundred miles above the Earth, and all I wanted was to get home and see you. Do you understand that I don’t care how big or small this world is, that you are the center of mine?”

It’s December 1984 when newly qualified astronaut Joan Goodwin becomes CAPCOM at the Johnson Space Center in Houston…the voice in Mission Control communicating directly with the shuttle crew. When disaster strikes during a spacewalk, the lives of everyone on board hang in the balance. They are people Joan cares about deeply: friends, found family, and one person who means more than anyone else.

The love story between Joan and Vanessa is quiet and charged…full of restraint, longing, and slow-burn intensity. Their connection feels earned, and it hits even harder because it has to stay hidden in 1980s America.

We don’t actually get much of Joan as an astronaut. Instead, we see her as a caretaker, a guardian to her niece, a partner, a sister’s anchor. These roles are meaningful and often moving, but they overshadow her ambition. The setup hints at a story about chasing a dream in a world determined to hold you down…but that thread never quite comes together.

In the end, the book is less about space travel and more about the emotional gravity of exclusion, about fighting upward through the weight of prejudice. Atmosphere is a story of love, but also of sacrifice and belonging. It’s about the ache of reaching for something more…whether it’s a place among the stars or simply a place where you are seen and loved. It’s a journey through loss and hope, a reminder that even in darkness, the human spirit burns bright. And under that same endless sky, the characters ultimately discover that belonging isn’t about where you land…it’s about who holds your light.

It feels like a love letter to dreamers, fighters, and the quiet heroes who refuse to stop reaching.

That said, the book fell short of a must-read for me. And it made me wonder: what earns a book five stars for you? Is it that you find yourself crying during a dramatic confession of love? A fresh kind of love story? The ongoing narrative of women being dismissed or underpaid? Strong character development? Surprising plot twists? Or simply the depth of emotion you feel when you turn the final page?

I’m genuinely curious…what are the markers that make a book unforgettable for you?

 

The Artist's Way

The Artist's Way

by Julia Cameron

I went to my mom’s place in Florida a few weeks ago, and sitting on her slanted antique desk between the dining room table and the kitchen was a book titled The Artist’s Way. I looked over at Vanessa and asked, “Did you bring this?” She had recommended it to me awhile ago, and I’d never hit purchase.

“No,” she said. “Must be Amanda’s…but it is an inspiring book.”

I picked it up, sat down, and opened it. I asked Vanessa what she liked about it…why she had recommended it. She said, “Especially for you, as someone who likes to write… every day they tell you to write three pages of whatever comes to mind. A mind dump. It doesn’t have to be profound…just write. No one will ever see it.”

I was intrigued. I ordered the book.

It isn’t one of those books you devour in 24 hours. I’ve been reading about ten pages a day, and I’ve started doing the morning pages. It feels like part workbook, part guide, part artistic reset. I picked it up out of curiosity, but something about writing each morning with no structure, no edits, zero expectations…just me, my favorite pen, and whatever is swirling in my head…felt inspiring. I thought…I can do this.

Three pages did feel like a lot. And I’ve started journals before only to abandon them quickly; they always felt pointless. But this… this seems to quiet the noise. Hidden ideas come to life. These random words I write somehow unclutter my mind.

Do you wake up and immediately find that your thoughts are at full tilt? Your punch list a mile long before you’ve even brushed your teeth? Worries creeping in…what you forgot yesterday, what you must do before the end of the day?

You need to sit down and write what’s in there. Get it out. Write down your fears, your ambitions, what excites you, what confuses you, what you love.

I’ve only been doing this for a week…not long…but I’ve noticed that when my mind isn’t ruminating over junk data, unexpected ideas show up. I’ve gotten a couple of solutions to problems. It has started to feel like…sounds cheesy…but that this...this little exercise...is where the magic begins.

I think of morning pages...exactly as Vanessa described it...a mind dump. The words don’t have to be poetic. They can be messy, repetitive, ordinary.

Just write.

Here’s what I wrote this morning…not three pages, but still writing:

I feel tired. How is it possible to sleep and yet wake up tired?  What time did I end up going to bed? I think 9:30, so that means I got roughly eight hours… should be good. My coffee is delicious. I wonder if coffee actually wakes me up or if I have formed a lifelong pact with beans.  I should probably start the day with water.  Water apparently solves everything. Water isn’t as good as coffee.  I don’t want to wake up Ginger… maybe I’ll move my vibrational plate to the bathroom and shut the door. I can’t shut the door…the boys will get upset. Does this even do anything…I guess on a cellular level.  Makes me laugh.  I’ll do it anyway.  I should check my work calendar and see what meetings I have today. Maybe the Friday lunch meeting can get pushed out. I should talk to Lance about his presentation next week and tell him to intentionally pause so I can read any questions that come in. Ugh, I need to pick up my prescription… I need to see what time CVS opens on Saturday. I need to refill my pills.  I’m looking forward to going to Folly Beach this weekend. Wonder what to pack. Wonder if I have time to take the Barre class before we leave… don’t think so. Maybe Ginger and I will walk tonight. I always feel better after I walk. I hope she won’t mind prepping everything to take to the pool after work so we can grill before it gets too dark. I should do a blog post. I’m excited to spend the winter season in South Carolina. I wonder if we’ll get any snow. I’ve got to get moving. I should shower.

See? Not a single profound or meaningful line. But I cleared my mental clutter. I reminded myself of small tasks. I got my brain moving. That is the value.

No big rules except write by hand, aim for three full pages, no edits, don’t reread it, and whatever you do…don’t try to sound wise.

Just show up.

Let the pages hold whatever you’re carrying.

It might surprise you.

And although I haven’t even finished the book yet, I’ve already gotten so much from it. I’ll definitely do a part two once I turn the last page. 

I dare you to try it...just for a week.

The Wedding People

 

The Wedding People 

by Alison Espach

Okay, well…hmmm. Simply put, I don’t quite understand all the hype around this book. I went in expecting a light, beachy read…something funny and uplifting. It even won a Goodreads Best Book of the Year award and was described as absurdly funny. But honestly? I don’t remember laughing. At best, it had a gentle, wry kind of humor. To be fair, I listened to the audiobook rather than reading it…maybe that made a difference?

The story centers on Phoebe, a woman who checks into a luxury hotel with no luggage and a dark plan: she intends to end her life using her cat’s painkillers. Her husband has left her, her cat has died, she has no children, and her career is going nowhere. When she arrives, she discovers that she’s the only guest not attending the week-long wedding taking place at the hotel.

What follows is…unexpected. (SPOILER ALERT!) After her suicide attempt fails, Phoebe somehow ends up befriending the bride-to-be, becoming her maid of honor (yes, really), and eventually falling in love with the groom (also, yes, really).

Despite the far-fetched premise, I did appreciate Phoebe’s transformation. Watching her shed the emotional restraints she’d placed on herself and begin to live authentically was refreshing. I liked seeing how her honesty and vulnerability influenced the people around her…strangers who were each dealing with their own forms of disconnection.

Ultimately, I think this is a story about starting over…about what happens after loss, and how you find your footing again when life doesn’t go the way you planned. I especially liked the ending, where Phoebe finds a new beginning as a “winter’s keeper.” It felt like the right note to end on: quiet, hopeful, and honest about how sometimes the only way forward is to start anew.

So, while this one didn’t strike me as wildly funny or groundbreaking, it offered a thoughtful reflection on reinvention, and the courage it takes to reclaim joy. Sometimes, that’s exactly what we need: a reminder that knowing yourself is one of life’s greatest challenges, and that no one is coming to save you. In the end, it’s up to each of us to take responsibility for our happiness, make the hard choices, and find the courage to change what isn’t working so we can move forward…stronger, lighter, and truly start to LIVE happily with purpose.