gayle mad men

Photo: Courtesy of Gayle King

Where Will You Be on April 7?
I plan to be glued to my TV watching the two-hour season premiere of Mad Men. Will Peggy return to Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce? Will Don stay faithful? What's in store for Roger and Joan, Pete and Trudy, Betty and Weight Watchers? And the big question: How will it all end?
chrisette michele

Photo: Derek Blanks, Courtesy of Motown Records

Sometimes You Have to Listen to a CD Over and Over...
before you really get it, but as soon as I heard the first note of R&B artist Chrisette Michele's debut CD, I was blown away. Her voice is playful but pretty, light but strong—the woman's got soul. She's also got her fourth album—Better—coming out this month, and I can't wait.
montaro caine

Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D

Want to Know...
what the new novel Montaro Caine (in bookstores May 7) is about? Well, I'll simply say that it's about 300 pages and it will knock you out! Ordinarily I'd share a plot twist or two, but the author has asked that I not give anything away, and since the author is Sidney Poitier, I'm happy to oblige. I first met Sidney when Oprah interviewed him for O. Sometimes it's best not to sit down with a living legend, but Mr. Poitier did not disappoint. He was insightful, elegant, and able to tell a great story, and 13 years later, the only thing that's changed is that now the story is fiction. "My goal," he told me, "is to take readers on a wonderful ride." Done!
jawbone

Photo: Courtesy of Jawbone

I Slept Four Hours and 26 Minutes Last Night
One hour and 59 minutes were light, two hours and 27 minutes were deep. I also know how long it took me to doze off, and that I woke up twice. I know all this because I'm the proud (but exhausted) owner of Up, a supersophisticated wristband containing sensors that track daily sleep and movement and record them via an iPhone app. I'd explain how having all this data helps you make smarter health choices, but clearly, I need to lie down.

(jawbone.com/up)
cookie

Photo: Courtesy of Levain Bakery

You Can Keep Your Chocolate Chips...
and Oreos, and Thin Mints. I defy anybody to take a bite out of the insanely decadent oatmeal raisin cookie from Manhattan's Levain Bakery and not fall head over heels. Golden brown on the outside, rich, buttery, moist, and loaded with plump raisins on the inside, this is—hands down—the best cookie on the planet.

(levainbakery.com)
jennifer lopez

Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Here's What Jennifer Lopez Had to Say...
over lunch when I asked her about dating a guy who's nearly 18 years younger:

"I've always looked at relationships for the future. Where is this going? Are we getting married? But now I think...maybe it's okay to just enjoy this for right now. There's love here, just relax."

I wish I could be that brave. She got me thinking how great it would feel to live life with no apologies. Something to aspire to!

Next: What Oprah knows for sure about peace and relaxation
From the April 2013 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine