Atmosphere

Reid’s propulsive latest begins with a disaster in space: the Navigator space shuttle is hit and; the crew may not survive. Toggling between the unfolding catastrophe and what brought us to this moment, Reid introduces us to Joan and her colleagues. Besides a loving relationship with her young niece, Joan has always been lonely—but then she answers NASA’s history-making call for female astronauts and her world is blown open as she finds professional satisfaction, camaraderie with her fellow science nerds, and romantic passion she never thought possible for herself. I drank this down in one long gulp: I loved the blend of queer love story, space exploration, family drama, and the pull of the stars.