My guidelines are a little looser -- it may well take me more than a year. So far I've read a mixture of picture books and books for older readers, including a few graphic novels (or comics, whichever term you prefer). Ideally I'd like the book to be by someone from that country. When that's not possible, someone who has lived there or has traveled and studied there. I've been keeping a spreadsheet as well as posting some reviews here (click the category Travels by Book on the right for these reviews) and will try to post them all over time. I also like visuals, so I started a Google map, just to see how I was doing. In some ways, surprisingly good. And there are huge gaps too -- the map makes these easier to see. You can see a recent version below, or click this link for a more updated version: https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zjqDqVjaB_pg.k-rYIZ8G2USE
*Please* send suggestions of your favorite books from another country -- I'd love to hear from people outside the US who live abroad or may be planning a trip!