Skip to content

Atmosphere's

Book of the Year

Book of the Year Badge general
Atmosphere Press is proud to recognize these five finalists for our first-ever Book of the Year Prize. These five books are exemplary for their writing, their message, their creativity, and the dedication of their authors. 
 
Atmosphere Press published more than 200 books in 2024, so competition for the Book of the Year Prize was fierce, and from over 30 books nominated by our staff, these five stood out for their excellence!

genre: poetry

Tesla’s Walk, by Jimmy Sena

Accompany the genius inventor and futurist Nikola Tesla on a poetic journey through one autumn day in 1899 Colorado Springs.

Nikola Tesla’s eight-month visit to Colorado Springs in 1899 is integral to his evolution as a genius inventor. Yet, for many, it still exudes an air of mystery and myth. Through a meandering poem and stunning historical photographs, walk along with Tesla one autumn day as he descends the front stairs of the Alta Vista Hotel on Cascade Avenue-as he interacts with citizens in Acacia Park, on Tejon Street, and along Pikes Peak Avenue-as he arrives at his Experimental Station on Knob Hill and engages the thunderous might of his electrical marvels on the eastern plains-as he ends the night in what will become Memorial Park.

Every person, place, and image we encounter is found among our city’s primary sources and historical artifacts. After the journey, we can explore detailed explanatory notes and period pictures that give authenticity to the tale. A period map guides us along Tesla’s path through town as we imagine Colorado Springs 125 years ago.

Tesla’s invitation awaits. Let’s go for a walk.

genre: nonfiction

Peter Mahoney

An ordinary life, forever altered by extraordinary circumstances.

In 1968, Peter P. Mahoney’s world was turned upside down when he joined the Army, became an infantry lieutenant, and was deployed to Vietnam. Upon his return, he found himself embroiled in the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) movement and indicted for conspiracy to incite a riot at the 1972 Republican Convention—the so-called Gainesville Eight case—where his friend surfaced as an FBI informer testifying against him.

In the early eighties, Mahoney played a pivotal role in establishing the New York Vietnam Veterans Memorial and later joined a delegation of veterans to meet with Soviet counterparts from their Afghanistan War. He fell in love with a Russian woman, married her, and spent nine years raising a family in a world vastly different from the suburban middle-class life he had left behind.

Now, he shares the extraordinary stories from that finite period that forever changed the trajectory of his ordinary existence.

“I Was a Hero Once is an amazing book. Mahoney is a natural storyteller and his sensitivity elevates the impact of what he’s been through. Mahoney has blessed America with an astonishing piece of literature. Let us celebrate his achievement!” – Lamont B. Steptoe, author and founder of Whirlwind Press

genre: fiction

Of Aragon, by Caroline Willcocks

Kat Cooke, a young girl captivated by the allure of Henry VIII’s magnificent Queen, Katherine of Aragon, embarks on a journey to unravel the mysteries of her own birth. As she navigates the intricate web of Tudor court politics, Kat witnesses both the splendor and deceit that define life within the Queen’s inner circle.

Amidst the grandeur of the royal court, Kat discovers love but is confronted with the painful reality of having to choose where her loyalties lie.

Of Aragon offers readers an intimate glimpse into the Queen’s private chambers, from the solemnity of the marriage bed to the anticipation of an heir’s birth. Caroline Willcocks skillfully transports us to a bygone era where even royal women must contend fiercely for their lives and loves.

genre: fiction

Lost Graces, by Helen Montague Foster

Psychiatrist Dr. Nancy Thomas prefers to believe there is no such thing as knowing too much about a human being, but after someone shoots a colleague, her fear mounts, and she learns disturbing secrets that force her to rethink her approach as a therapist.

Despite insurance denials and cautions from a supervisor that Grace and Alan are too ill for her to continue treating safely, Nancy struggles to provide good care. Has her own past clouded her judgement? With her husband away, her children grown and gone, colleagues dying, and her anxiety surging, she fears she may become prey to a serial killer.

Set in the late 1990’s in Richmond, Virginia in a landscape of changing health care policies, Lost Graces by Helen Montague Foster was inspired by the city’s reactions to the real-life Southside Strangler and Beltway Snipers. This richly imagined psychiatric thriller invites readers into head of the kind of psychiatrist who does therapy.

genre: children's

Yellow Yuba, by Jocelyn Tambascio

Icky the inventor has gotten himself into a sticky mess! His empty promises and misuse of nature’s gifts have left the village trees bare and water depleted. Only through the hard work of everyone coming together will the environment’s balance be restored.