What's On in the (Sunday) Salon, 1/19/2013

What I'm reading

• in print

I would like to report that I'm not still reading the same books I was last week, but that would be both inaccurate and untrue. I think I have a pretty good shot at finishing at least one of them this weekend, though...and I will not consider the fact that it's a three-day weekend a cheat.

• on audio

I've finished my first audiobook of 2014, but the second one will take me a bit longer--it's the 17-hour(!) reading of Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright. It was on a bunch of "Best Books of 2013" lists...and I work around the corner from a major Scientology center on Hollywood Boulevard. This doesn't seem like a book I should pass up.

What I'm watching

Tonight. This. (Because I don't have "methods," and I've had to wait for PBS to run it.)

Like a cell phone, I am SHERlocked

What I'm writing

I'm trying to make journaling a habit this year, and while I'm not doing it every single day, I've managed to make an entry in my Day One app at least three or four times a week. Some of them may develop into blog posts at some point, but they don't have to, and that's perfectly fine. Tif has just started a monthly journaling feature on her blog, and I'm interested to see what gets discussed there (and if it gives me any ideas!)

And itt's been a while since I've done an "at the movies" post, which usually means I haven't had too much to say about the movies I've been to recently (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug twice, and Anchorman 2 once). I think I'll have a few things to say about American Hustle, though, after seeing it yesterday, and I'm hoping to post those thoughts later this week if I can get them written up today or tomorrow.

What caught my eye this week

(Blog posts about blogging--go figure!)

• As a nine-year blogging veteran, Andi is thoroughly qualified to offer six tips for keeping a sustainable blog, including this one:

"Write your passion. Whatever you're passionate about writing is what you should write."

• Seven-year blogger Megan Jordan's post on returning from "internet hiatus" reinforces Andi's second point in a way I really love:

"Over the last seven years, we've developed a rhythm, you and I...We are low maintenance. I like that about us. It takes trust to be low maintenance."

What Else is New?

The agenda for BlogHer'14 was published this week--and to my own distinct surprise, I'm seriously considering going. I really didn't think I'd attend one of their conferences again, but this year's edition is going to be scaled smaller (attendance is capped), it's on my side of the country, and it has content that appeals to me.

I need to do some number-crunching to see if I can do this and BEA in 2014, since each draws me for different reasons and it would be great if I didn't have to pick just one.

Gratuitous Photo of the Week

Weather permitting, we're trying to get out for hikes on the weekends. This is Indian Creek at Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks. I guess you can tell Southern California is in a drought, huh?