Top Ten Tuesday

TTT – Atmospheric Books

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Top Ten Tuesday used to be a weekly post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, but was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. “It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.” This is definitely something I can understand and want to participate in.

This week’s prompt is atmospheric books, and this is another buzzy word I see used all the time. The Novelry explains this concept as: “A novel feels atmospheric when the setting and the narrative are deeply involved with one another; when characters and plot are physically embedded in their surroundings, and a near-tangible mood lifts from the pages and wraps itself around the reader.” Study.com explains that, “The atmosphere is how a writer constructs their piece to convey feelings, emotions, and mood to the reader. The atmosphere in literature might be tense, fast-paced, mysterious, spooky, whimsical, or joyful and can be found in poetry, stories, novels, and series.”

I’m a huge fan of atmospheric novels, the kind that pull a reader in and make us feel like we are actually in the story, where the setting and the characters and the story itself all directly interact, although the ones that I wind up reading tend to be on the darker side. Here’s ten of my favorite atmospheric reads:

  1. One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig. When I think of atmospheric reads, this book is the very first that comes to mind. With a deadly mist, people trying to find a way to fix the curse on their town, a magical deck of cards, and a romance subplot, this book is the epitome of atmospheric.
  2. Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I got an ARC of this through NetGalley, and when I read it, there was a Spotify playlist that Moreno-Garcia herself put out. Listening to it while reading was a unique experience that allowed me to feel even more immersed in this noir story.
  3. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. An Ivy League college, secret societies, ghosts, a murder, and a story that progresses from autumn through winter had me feeling like I needed a hot cup of tea and a blanket to keep reading. 
  4. The Luminaries by Susan Dennard. A town surrounded by a forest full of dangerous monsters, and wolf shifters that protect it, with a story told by a girl whose family is shunned by the entire town all made for a very atmospheric book.
  5. The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan. This one was a dark read, and it was one of my favorites of the year. There was something about it that just had me feeling as though I was traveling with the characters.
  6. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. A modern day retelling of David Copperfield set in West Virginia, I could feel the poverty and struggle of the characters, and experience their pain and joys right along with them.
  7. The Will of the Many by James Islington. This book perfectly fits the definition of atmospheric as listed above, and it conveys a tense and mysterious tone that I had so much trouble putting down.
  8. City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita. One of the most tense books that I’ve ever read, this entire story takes place within a single building, designed to house everything the residents could need for an entire winter in remote Alaska. It’s the ultimate atmospheric, locked-door mystery.
  9. The Villa by Rachel Hawkins. Two friends who have drifted apart decide to spend the summer at a villa notorious for inspiring some incredible works of literature and music in the past, as well as a murder in the 1970s, but as these friends begin looking into the villa’s history, things get darker.
  10. Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert. This story about magic, secrets, and family was anything but what I expected, and while reading, I felt like anything was possible. 

What are some of your favorite atmospheric books?

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39 replies »

    • I was going to choose Mexican Gothic initially, but then I thought of the playlist for Velvet was the Night and couldn’t resist. I think Demon Copperhead was such a grueling read precisely because it was so atmospheric – you could almost feel everything the characters were going through!

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  16. Pingback: Top Ten Tuesday: Atmospheric Books – Functionally Fictional

  17. Dear Leah
    We loved ‘The Tyranny of Faith’ as well, although we are not lovers of atmospheric books. We haven’t read the other books of your list.
    Happy weekend
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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