Year: 2008

Go Away With … Pattie Boyd

Jae-Ha Kim

Pattie Boyd is one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most famous muses. Married first to George Harrison and later to his best friend Eric Clapton, Boyd was the inspiration for such songs as “Something,” “Layla” and “Wonderful Tonight.” In her New York Times bestselling memoir “Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me” (Three Rivers Press, $14.95) – just released in paperback – Boyd talks not only about her life with the musicians, but also her early love of travel and exploration. Based in her native Great Britain, the former model prefers being behind the camera these days. Though Boyd cites India, Africa and Thailand as a few of her favorite destinations, she says there’s nothing quite like Venezuela.

Go Away With … Simon Le Bon

Jae-Ha Kim

With their telegenic good looks and lush music videos, which were filmed in such exotic locations as Sri Lanka, Antigua and France, Duran Duran helped put MTV on the map in the ’80s. More than two decades after the success of “Hungry Like the Wolf,” the British quartet is back with its new album “Red Carpet Massacre.”

Henry Winkler: The Fonz writes books!

Jae-Ha Kim

Three decades ago, Henry Winkler was best known for his role as the Fonz on “Happy Days.” These days, the actor has a whole new generation of fans, thanks to his Hank Zipzer: The World’s Greatest Underachiever series of children’s books. Hank, an irrepressible fourth-grader, deals with dyslexia, bullies and a potential love interest in the latest installment — The Life of Me: Enter at Your Own Risk ($5.99, Gosset & Dunlap) — which just hit book stores.

Go Away With … John Cho

Jae-Ha Kim

It has been a busy year for John Cho. He has been cast as Sulu in the upcoming “Star Trek” film to be released in 2009 and he reprised his role as the stoner Harold in “Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay” – the sequel to the 2004 hit comedy “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.” But the 35-year-old actor — who was born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Los Angeles — is about to tackle his most important role: that of dad. Cho and his wife, actress Kerri Higuchi, are expecting their first child – a son – at the end of May. “I’m taking a maternity leave with my wife,” Cho says, laughing. “We’re really anxious to meet this baby. I can’t wait.”

“Friday Night Lights” — Second Season

Jae-Ha Kim

Friday Night Lights is deeply entrenched in the world of football and teamwork, but the series transcends sports and delves into rich, human relationships that at times are heartbreakingly real. A compelling drama, the show also features one of the strongest (and best looking) ensemble casts. The second season fulfills the promise of its debut. Full of drama, heart, and superb acting, the series is set in fictional Dillon, Texas–a town where everyone lives and breathes football.

Redecorating? You can redesign without buying new things

Jae-Ha Kim

You’ve heard of an interior designer. And you may have even hired a remodeler. But until recently, a redesigner was just a word that most of us didn’t realize existed. Thanks to home design shows such as HGTV’s “Decorating Cents,” savvy homeowners are learning that redesigning — or utilizing pieces that already exist in a home — can rejuvenate a house for very little cost and, in some cases, no cost. It just takes a little imagination to think outside of the box — and maybe a friend or two to help move the furniture around.

Go Away With … Marilu Henner

Jae-Ha Kim

With several New York Times bestseller books already under her slim belt, actress Marilu Henner (“Taxi”) is excited about her latest self-help book: Wear Your Life Well: Use What You Have to Get What You Want (Collins, $24.95). Co-written with her brother Lorin Henner, the book is easy to read and full of tips that range from common sense (“mascara needs to be tossed out after three or four months”) to just a tad more esoteric (“fall in love with your stress or it will kill you”).

An organized, healthy lifestyle is the key to Marilu Henner’s positive attitude

Jae-Ha Kim

Phoning from her California home after her stint on “Celebrity Apprentice” was completed, Marilu Henner is in a chatty mood. Born and reared in Chicago, the actress best known for her work on “Taxi” gives a verbal high-five to her interviewer, whose accent she immediately recognizes as one from her hometown.

“Sense & Sensibility”

Jae-Ha Kim

Lush, dramatic, and beautifully acted, the BBC’s three-part miniseries “Sense & Sensibility” captures the languid urgency that resonates throughout the Jane Austen novel on which it is based. The miniseries begins with a seduction scene: As a young girl cautiously gives herself to a man, she asks, “But when will you come back?” He answers ominously, “Soon… very soon,” and gallops off into the night.

Go Away With…Phil Collen

Jae-Ha Kim

Phil Collen doesn’t need a chauffeur. After finishing an interview at a Los Angeles radio station, he jumps behind the wheel of his own car, gets directions and heads onto I-405. “I love living in California,” says the guitarist for the British band Def Leppard. “The weather is beautiful every single day. Sure the traffic can be spotty, but it’s a small price to pay for the lifestyle.”

“Wings” — Season Six

Jae-Ha Kim

Set in Nantucket, “Wings” focuses on a group of people who work at the same small airport and like each other so much (or are so bored) that they are constantly meddling in each other’s business. The sixth season of the sitcom includes preparations for not one, but two weddings. Not to be outdone by Joe (Tim Daly) and Helen’s (Crystal Bernard) engagement (finally!), busybody Roy (David Schramm) decides that he, too, wants to get married and sends away for a Russian mail-order bride.

Kimberla Lawson Roby’s flawed hero hits home

Jae-Ha Kim

In 1997, Kimberla Lawson Roby couldn’t get an agent or a publishing house interested in her first novel. Today she’s a New York Times best-selling author who writes a book every year for a major distributor. Her latest juicy work of fiction is “Sin No More,” which revisits her most popular character, the Rev. Curtis Black.