New Book Trend - One Year of Anything

RWood · 08-25-2009, 12:20 PM

Sex, lack of sex, fast food, living in a bathroom stall, whatever for a year and it seems to qualify you to write a book. According to this article from the BBC News, a current trend in publishing for the past five years or so is all about people doing one unique thing for a year. They call it "annualism" and it makes me wonder what I could do for a year that other people would want to read about.

What would you do for a year and write a book about?

krisk · 08-25-2009, 12:22 PM

be a hermit

GeoffC · 08-25-2009, 12:47 PM

inhabit MobileRead .....

vivaldirules · 08-25-2009, 12:49 PM

I could eat doughnuts (or bacon! or both!!) at every meal for a year.

GeoffC · 08-25-2009, 12:50 PM

....what ! - go on a diet ?

vivaldirules · 08-25-2009, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffC

....what ! - go on a diet ?

zelda_pinwheel · 08-25-2009, 12:59 PM

now that you mention it i've noticed quite a lot of those books as well. i don't think i can think of anything i could do for a year that would be worth documenting though. then again, given a few of those books, apparently that's no reason not to write a book.

UncleDuke · 08-25-2009, 01:41 PM

one guy used his cell phone camera and shot pics of everything he ate for a year, how many shots of fried eggs or hot and sour soup can one person stand

a few topics i would never do

- a year without sex
- a year without doughnuts
- a year without tv
- a year without reading
- a year without bacon
- a year without smoking
- a year without single malt
- a year without my electronic readers
- a year without email
- a year without cell phones

things i would do

+ a year of dating only girls who wear glasses
+ a year without blondes
+ a year without driving, if i move back to nyc
+ a year without airplane rides
+ a year with my head shaved
+ a year with a beard
+ a year of watching the dogers play
+ a year of attending disneyland everyday, i'll need an expense advance
+ a year without blended whiskey
+ a year without a newspaper, lots of people seem to be doing this
+ a year without pbooks
+ a year without a telephone land line, oops, already doing that
+ a year without lima beans

krisk · 08-25-2009, 08:17 PM

a few topics i would never do

- a year without sex
***came close once, but trying not to repeat that

- a year without doughnuts
***done regularly

- a year without tv
***3 years in fact!

- a year without reading
***when I'm DEAD!

- a year without bacon
***that WOULD be very painful (and turkey bacon doesn't count!)

- a year without smoking
***it's been three and a half!

- a year without single malt
***simply non-negotiable

- a year without my electronic readers
***just coming up on my year anniversary in October. I can't imagine doing it willingly

- a year without email
***simply impossible even professionally

- a year without cell phones
***see above

things i would do

+ a year of dating only guys who wear glasses
***sure why not!

+ a year without blondes
***very doable

+ a year without driving, if i move back to nyc
***I can't even imagine a year IN NYC

+ a year without airplane rides
***it's been so long since that has happened...

+ a year with my head shaved
***uh... no, pretty much non-negotiable

+ a year with a beard
***not equipped

+ a year of watching the dogers play
***whassthat???? doggies playin?

+ a year of attending disneyland everyday, i'll need an expense advance
***do I get a paycheck?

+ a year without blended whiskey
***sstrictly a single malt girl

+ a year without a newspaper, lots of people seem to be doing this
***haven't gotten a paper for about 7 years now, been relying on the interwebzzzzzz

+ a year without pbooks
***ohhhhh.... I dunno about that one!

+ a year without a telephone land line, oops, already doing that
***been doing that at home.... at work.... my life's all about the copper

+ a year without lima beans
***why you be hatin on the poor limas?

lilac_jive · 08-25-2009, 08:56 PM

I've only read two books like this, and they were both by the same guy. AJ Jacobs (The Year of Living Biblically and The Know It All - both fantastic!).

I have no idea what I would/wouldn't do for a year that would be worth writing about though

toomanybooks · 08-25-2009, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UncleDuke

one guy used his cell phone camera and shot pics of everything he ate for a year, how many shots of fried eggs or hot and sour soup can one person stand

My husband went to high school with that guy. WE have that book. It actually has a bizzare charm.

nomesque · 08-25-2009, 11:41 PM

In this day and age, committing to something FOR A WHOLE YEAR is a big deal! Like, HUGE! And all you need to do is document how you came to such a bizarre decision, and how traumatic it all was, and how happy you were to be free when it was finished. Simple. And people will read it for the vicarious thrill of long-term commitment and wackiness without the pain

nomesque · 08-25-2009, 11:55 PM

You know a book I'd buy?

One Year of Living as a Crazy Cat Lady

UncleDuke · 08-26-2009, 12:26 AM

and though i'll never love you,
i'll stay with you one year

...

very bold for 64

nomesque · 08-26-2009, 03:00 AM

*chuckle* My point exactly! Well, almost. Kinda. You know

08-25-2009, 12:20 PM	#1
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	New Book Trend - One Year of Anything Sex, lack of sex, fast food, living in a bathroom stall, whatever for a year and it seems to qualify you to write a book. According to this article from the BBC News, a current trend in publishing for the past five years or so is all about people doing one unique thing for a year. They call it "annualism" and it makes me wonder what I could do for a year that other people would want to read about. What would you do for a year and write a book about?

08-26-2009, 12:26 AM	#14
UncleDuke books & doughnuts Posts: 882 Karma: 37857 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: usa Device: sony reader, kindle2	gale garnett from 1964 and though i'll never love you, i'll stay with you one year ... very bold for 64

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08-25-2009, 12:22 PM	#2
krisk Wizard Posts: 2,148 Karma: 8229 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: on the road again Device: kindle	be a hermit

08-25-2009, 12:47 PM	#3
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,599 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	inhabit MobileRead .....

08-25-2009, 12:49 PM	#4
vivaldirules When's Doughnut Day? Posts: 10,059 Karma: 13675475 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Houston, TX, US Device: Sony PRS-505, iPad	I could eat doughnuts (or bacon! or both!!) at every meal for a year.

08-25-2009, 12:50 PM	#5
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,599 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	....what ! - go on a diet ?

08-25-2009, 12:59 PM	#7
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	now that you mention it i've noticed quite a lot of those books as well. i don't think i can think of anything i could do for a year that would be worth documenting though. then again, given a few of those books, apparently that's no reason not to write a book.

08-25-2009, 01:41 PM	#8
UncleDuke books & doughnuts Posts: 882 Karma: 37857 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: usa Device: sony reader, kindle2	one guy used his cell phone camera and shot pics of everything he ate for a year, how many shots of fried eggs or hot and sour soup can one person stand a few topics i would never do - a year without sex - a year without doughnuts - a year without tv - a year without reading - a year without bacon - a year without smoking - a year without single malt - a year without my electronic readers - a year without email - a year without cell phones things i would do + a year of dating only girls who wear glasses + a year without blondes + a year without driving, if i move back to nyc + a year without airplane rides + a year with my head shaved + a year with a beard + a year of watching the dogers play + a year of attending disneyland everyday, i'll need an expense advance + a year without blended whiskey + a year without a newspaper, lots of people seem to be doing this + a year without pbooks + a year without a telephone land line, oops, already doing that + a year without lima beans

08-25-2009, 08:17 PM	#9
krisk Wizard Posts: 2,148 Karma: 8229 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: on the road again Device: kindle	a few topics i would never do - a year without sex *came close once, but trying not to repeat that - a year without doughnuts done regularly - a year without tv 3 years in fact! - a year without reading when I'm DEAD! - a year without bacon that WOULD be very painful (and turkey bacon doesn't count!) - a year without smoking it's been three and a half! - a year without single malt simply non-negotiable - a year without my electronic readers just coming up on my year anniversary in October. I can't imagine doing it willingly - a year without email simply impossible even professionally - a year without cell phones see above things i would do + a year of dating only guys who wear glasses sure why not! + a year without blondes very doable + a year without driving, if i move back to nyc I can't even imagine a year IN NYC + a year without airplane rides it's been so long since that has happened... + a year with my head shaved uh... no, pretty much non-negotiable + a year with a beard not equipped + a year of watching the dogers play whassthat???? doggies playin? + a year of attending disneyland everyday, i'll need an expense advance do I get a paycheck? + a year without blended whiskey sstrictly a single malt girl + a year without a newspaper, lots of people seem to be doing this haven't gotten a paper for about 7 years now, been relying on the interwebzzzzzz + a year without pbooks ohhhhh.... I dunno about that one! + a year without a telephone land line, oops, already doing that been doing that at home.... at work.... my life's all about the copper + a year without lima beans **why you be hatin on the poor limas?

08-25-2009, 08:56 PM	#10
lilac_jive Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,870 Karma: 27376 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Device: PRS-505	I've only read two books like this, and they were both by the same guy. AJ Jacobs (The Year of Living Biblically and The Know It All - both fantastic!). I have no idea what I would/wouldn't do for a year that would be worth writing about though

08-25-2009, 11:41 PM	#12
nomesque Snooty Bestselling Author Posts: 1,485 Karma: 1000000 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ipswich, QLD, Australia Device: PRS-650	In this day and age, committing to something FOR A WHOLE YEAR is a big deal! Like, HUGE! And all you need to do is document how you came to such a bizarre decision, and how traumatic it all was, and how happy you were to be free when it was finished. Simple. And people will read it for the vicarious thrill of long-term commitment and wackiness without the pain

08-25-2009, 11:55 PM	#13
nomesque Snooty Bestselling Author Posts: 1,485 Karma: 1000000 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ipswich, QLD, Australia Device: PRS-650	You know a book I'd buy? One Year of Living as a Crazy Cat Lady

08-26-2009, 03:00 AM	#15
nomesque Snooty Bestselling Author Posts: 1,485 Karma: 1000000 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ipswich, QLD, Australia Device: PRS-650	chuckle My point exactly! Well, almost. Kinda. You know