Disneyrunning--it is possible to go from to little running to a marathon in a year, but like
Lisa/princessrunner said, it's best to start small. How about training for the half marathon in 2009 and the full in 2010? Training for a marathon takes a lot of time and commitment, most training programs have you running 4-5 times a week and exercising (cross training--elliptical, biking, swimming, weight lifting, etc) those other 2 or 3 days with only one rest day a week. Not to mention a long run, usually on Saturday, that starts around 6-7 miles and goes up to 20 miles. And while it's okay to miss an occasional run or cross training session, it's not a good idea to make it a habit to miss runs or cross training.
As far as books about marathoning, John Bingham is my favorite, I've used his Marathoning for Mortals program many times, but other good books by him are The Courage to Start, No Need for Speed, and Running for Mortals. Just go to your local bookstore to the running section and there will be lots of books, some for training, some for speed, a lot of selection.
What you should be doing now--get into a running schedule, you don't need to be running a lot miles now (most marathon training will start late summer for a January marathon), but definitely run 3-4 miles 3 times a week (maybe 3 miles twice and one 4 miler, or run 3-3 milers now and maybe in May bump one 3 miler up to 4) and then maybe 5-6 miles on your long run on the weekend. It's also a good idea to start cross training now and lifting weights--I've found that is key to preventing injury--build those leg muscles and tendons and ligaments up now so they can withstand the beating they are going to take in the next few months.
Eat right--not necessarily diet, but eat healthy--lots of carbs, protein, fruits and vegetables and calcium to prevent injury.
Good luck in training and please keep posting, you will find the support on these boards is incredible!
ETA: I don't want to sound like a Negative Nellie, making you think you can't run a marathon next January, I just want you to be as prepared for the distance as possible and to know everything that goes into training. I want to see you at that start line (for whatever distance you choose), not sidelined with an injury. Training for and running a marathon is an incredible journey, one you will never forget for the rest of your life. I want your experience to be a good one so you keep coming back for more!
Krista