A Book a Day in 2010

The purpose of this blog is pretty simple; it's a way to record and share my (absurd, daunting and according to one friend somewhat 'antisocial') New Year's Resolution for 2010.

This year, I am going to read 365 books in as many days. That's right. I'm setting out to read a book a day for the next year.

I'm currently an ALT (assistant language teacher) in rural northern Japan, and to be honest my job leaves me with a lot of downtime. Coupled with the fact that my language barrier leaves me feeling distinctly intellectually stifled most of the time, I've decided to bend my work-hours downtime to a purpose of self-improvement.

This blog will provide a record of what I've read; I hope to make each entry a review and commentary about the book in question. I'll warn you upfront if a post contains spoilers.

For those who would like to participate, I'll be setting up my profile shortly to enable you to contribute by sending me books you'd like me to read from amazon.co.jp!

So here are the rules for the project.

1) Anything that can be purchased in a bookstore as a discreet, individually bound unit counts as a book. A book of poems counts, a single poem doesn't...unless it's a poem like Beowulf, which can be bought as its own entity. Same rules for short stories.
2) Rereads don't count. I am not allowed to read a book I've read before - each book must be a new undertaking. So please check with me before buying me a book!
3) Magazines, newspapers and the like do not count, even if read cover-to-cover.
4) The book does not need to be completed in a single 24 hour period. Some will take more time, some less, but I must complete 365 books in total by midnight on December 31st 2010.
5) I will keep a running list of books I plan to tackle. This list can be revised at any point.
6) I don't have to finish a book once I start it, but if I don't finish it I get no credit for that book, and no time extensions for time wasted. 'Finish' is defined as reading everything from the first word to the last word of the book. It does not include notes, citations, indices, etc. These are optional.
7) The books can be in any language in which I can read them. The same book in a different language does not count as a new read.

Stay tuned for posts on my first six conquests of the year.