ArcaMax

The question these days is not “Can we afford to eat out?” but “Can we afford to tip?”

If you pay on a screen at a restaurant, the tip choices are 15%, 20%, 30%, and “take my wallet.” The awkward part is thinking it through and doing the math while the server stands there watching you.

We always tip, but sometimes one of us has to ...Read more

Q: My 9-year-old has started calling my husband “Dad.” Her father is furious and corrects her every time she does it. He says she already has a dad and allowing this is disrespectful. I understand why it hurts his feelings, but she's very close to her stepfather. This was her choice. What do I tell her?

A: There’s a fine line we walk ...Read more

Think about it: Some of the most unforgettable books hinge on a missed opportunity, a chance meeting, or even a random conversation. Such moments end up being the catalyst for life-altering journeys. What’s cool is that these stories can be found in almost all genres – romance, historical fiction, mystery, women’s fiction.

And no matter ...Read more

Her memories of that night are never the same. They are both little girls, Unnur and her friend Freyja, alone on a black-sand Icelandic beach, the waves clutching at them. In one memory, Freyja ignores her pleas and walks into the sea. In another, Unnur yanks Freyja’s head underwater until the bubbles stop. Which is true? She’s never known. ...Read more

'THE UPRISING'

Rated R for violence/bloody images

What it’s about: Paul Greengrass imagines the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 in England as an action thriller.

The kid attractor factor: This bloody revolutionary film is not for kids — too violent. For adults only.

Good lessons/bad lessons: Revolution is inevitable under oppression.

Violence:...Read more

My new therapist is sitting on the edge of my desk, legs crossed, head slightly bowed. His beady eyes peer at me through his black framed glasses as he holds a pen poised over his clipboard.

He’s three inches tall, made of molded plastic, and looks like a cross between Freud and Dr. Leo Marvin from the movie, “What About Bob?”

The ...Read more

Q: My ex shows up for everything that involves our daughter, even when it happens during my parenting time. Soccer practices, school events, sometimes even routine appointments. When I say something, she tells me, “I'm her mother. I have every right to be there.” I want us both involved, but sometimes I'd like to just be Dad without my ex ...Read more

(WARNING: Contains spoilers for "Immortal Longings" and "Vilest Things.")

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Explosive. Breathtaking. It all comes down to the wire in the action-packed conclusion to Chloe Gong’s "Flesh and False Gods" trilogy, "Eyes of Kings."

Inspired by Shakespeare’s "Antony and Cleopatra," the trilogy is set within the world of Talin, in which ...Read more

I was already a huge fan of Riley Sager before "The Unknown." I’ve read all of his previous best-selling thrillers and even got the opportunity to interview him once. So I was pretty sure right from the start this would be a good book. I just didn’t know it was going to be this good.

"The Unknown" is a wonderfully creepy, spooky and ...Read more

'ONSLAUGHT'

Rated R for strong bloody violence, some gore, sexual material/nudity, and language.

What it’s about: A trio of scientifically engineered supersoldiers wreak havoc on a desert trailer park, whose residents fight back.

The kid attractor factor: This bloody horror/action flick does not have any appeal for kids.

Good lessons/bad ...Read more

My 5-year-old twin boys, Mikey and Charlie, started kindergarten a couple of weeks ago, marking the end of their preschool careers. They walked into class wearing backpacks full of back-to-school supplies, like markers and glue. With their summers in the rearview mirror, they stepped into a world not with circle time or naps, but with desks, ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California legislators on Monday sent two bills to Gov. Gavin Newsom that would change how chatbots are made and regulated in the state. The legislation could have ramifications across the country for the still-emerging technology.

Senate Bill 1119 would require companion chatbot operators to analyze the design of their ...Read more

Next to Monopoly and Battleship, Get Grandma is one of the family’s favorite games. No rules, no limits, play as often as you wish, whenever and wherever you wish.

Years ago, both sons-in-laws began jumping out of closets when they realized I had a strong startle reflex and often screamed loud enough to pierce two time zones when surprised.

...Read more

Q: My ex's girlfriend has started texting me about our kids. Pickup times, homework, schedule changes, you name it. She's pleasant, and I don't dislike her, but I'm beginning to wonder why I'm co-parenting with her instead of my ex. Where do you draw the line? What’s good ex-etiquette?

A. Before you send, “I had children with HIM, not YOU,�...Read more

For anyone who has ever closed the Book of Revelation feeling more confused than illuminated, Robert Charley‘s "The Feast of Trumpets: Blueprint to Revelation" offers a fresh lens, grounded in scholarship yet written with the warmth of a friend walking you through a subject he loves.

Charley’s central premise is elegantly simple and, once ...Read more