ArcaMax

Q: My ex wants us to celebrate our daughter's birthday together every year because she says it's better for our daughter. We don't fight in front of her, but being together is uncomfortable and I'm sure she can feel it. I'd rather have separate celebrations. Does putting the kids first mean we have to celebrate together? What’s good ex-...Read more

When a technician pronounced our refrigerator’s ice maker beyond repair two years ago, he bowed his head, marked the event with a moment of silence, then handed us an outrageous repair bill.

Not going down to defeat, or life without ice, we went out and bought two plastic ice cube trays. Making our own ice was such a throwback to the past ...Read more

We are certainly living in dark times these days… Who’s to say we aren’t loving in them, as well?

Back at the tail end of 2024, I was offered a wild opportunity to pitch a horror romance to an imprint at Harlequin Books. I leapt at the opportunity because, baked into this prospective shot, there was a gleeful demon on my shoulder, ...Read more

Would you buy a haunted house? Some people might, while others would get back in their cars and race off at the first spooky sound. Sometimes people will buy a house for its historical significance, like a castle or manor that dates back several centuries.

There is also a rule about full disclosure; the seller must reveal to the buyer any ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS -- As a kid, Kristen Mueller spent her summers playing baseball with friends at a park a couple of blocks away. In high school, she was a three-sport varsity athlete and later played hockey for her college team.

But if her kids join today’s hyper-organized youth sports culture, they will be expected to get serious, not dabble. ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — It may indeed be divine to forgive. But Peter Hook has absolutely no intention of letting bygones be bygones — even for just one night — when he and his former bandmates in Joy Division and New Order are honored Nov. 14 at the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater.

“Their behavior...Read more

'RESIDENT EVIL'

Rated R for strong bloody violence, gore and language throughout.

What it’s about: This reboot of the video game franchise follows a medical courier on a treacherous journey into a zombie-infested Raccoon City.

The kid attractor factor: This horror survival thriller is ooey, gooey, bloody and intensely violent, not for kids....Read more

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