Bottle Rocket Hearts makes the Canada Reads Top Ten!

Thanks so much to Cormorant Books for the stellar campaign, everyone who voted, and Dance Yourself to Death! I just screamed so loud the cats ran under the couch! Happy Tuesday indeed, Jian.

*dorky CBC retro t-shirt in photo is completely nerd-tentional.

Bottle Rocket Hearts for Canada Reads

Bryan Ibeas and Carolyn McNeillie at Cormorant Books made this film to promote my novel for Canada Reads. I know my book is a bit of a long shot, so we thought it wouldn't hurt to find a creative way to get the word out. The film features original music by my favourite Toronto band, Dance Yourself to Death.



What do you think? I'm sorry I don't know how to make the screen fit - I'm not exactly a tech whiz.:)

Positive review of Holding Still for as Long as Possible in Booklist

Holding Still for as Long as Possible.
Whittall, Zoe (author).
Sept. 2010. 300p. Anansi, paperback, $14.95 (9780887849640).
REVIEW. 
First published September 15, 2010 (Booklist).

This captivating glimpse into the lives of three twentysomethings showcases Whittall’s ability to create complex characters. Connected through social circles in their Toronto neighborhood, they struggle to accept the past while mapping out the future: Josh, a female-to-male transgender works strenuous shifts as a paramedic and tries to erase from his mind the atrocities he witnesses daily; Amy, his ex-girlfriend and an amateur filmmaker, lives off of her wealthy parents; and Billy, a former child pop star, now endures extreme anxiety attacks. As the three become wrapped up in each others’ lives, the emotional roller coaster dips and rises. Haunted by memories of the tragedy of 9/11 and of the rampant fear of a SARS epidemic, which served as the scenery of their youth, this new generation’s members proclaim their true feelings through text messages and drown their excess emotion in booze. A poignant climax seems almost like a dream as the characters drift toward the shattering conclusion. An unforgettable depiction of growing up in the new millennium.

— Annie McCormick