ArcaMax

Q: How do I know if my children are truly safe when they move between two homes -- and I rarely talk to their mom? What should I do if something feels "off"? What's good ex-etiquette?

A: This is one of the most common questions I hear from newly separated parents, and it makes perfect sense. When families reorganize, children begin living in ...Read more

There were no witnesses, but all I said was, “Get Fred off the table and away from the food.” I thought it was a reasonable request, but from the look on her face I was out of line. Who knew a first-grader with beautiful hazel eyes nestled above cherub cheeks could shoot such a menacing look?

I was momentarily intimidated, but I also knew I...Read more

Life doesn’t hand out road maps for the hard stuff — illness, grief, loss or the quiet, sometimes overwhelming uncertainty that comes after survival. There’s no checklist, no perfect sequence of steps, no easy answers. But books? Books can meet us exactly where we are. They can hold us, challenge us and whisper the truths we need to hear ...Read more

In 1998 in Morgantown, West Virginia, a bar owner took over the sponsorship of a local adult softball team. Named Chico’s Bail Bonds after the sponsor of the hapless Bad News Bears little leaguers in the 1976 film of the same name, Chico’s Bondsmen are now immortalized in a new book.

"Sometimes Orange Is Almost Gold: Morgantown’s Misfits ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS -- Teenagers are generally obsessed with their smartphones. So much so that Kristin Hatling’s family recently encountered a gaggle of them who had brought their screens into a resort’s hot tub.

“My daughter, who’s 11, was like, ‘Mom, all they’re doing is looking at their phones and, like, making kissy faces into them. ...Read more

'NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON'T'

Rated PG-13 for some strong language, violence and suggestive references.

What it’s about: The Horsemen, a group of high-stakes magicians, reunite with a new generation of aspiring magicians to pull off an international diamond heist.

The kid attractor factor: Kids might be drawn to the magic and illusions ...Read more

We look at paintings of that first Thanksgiving more than 400 years ago, with tables sagging under the weight of wild game, venison, waterfowl, lobster and mussels, corn, beans and pumpkins We often sigh and say, “Life was so simple back then.”

It was simple. Life was so simple that heat in homes came from logs crackling in a fireplace. ...Read more

Q. Even though my divorce has been final for a year, I sometimes like to spend the day with my ex and the kids. Not taking the chance of her saying no, I put the children first and ask the kids how they would feel if I came along. They say it’s fine, so then I tell their mother that I’d like to come along, and the kids want me to. I can tell...Read more

From a remote Italian village where a chance reunion bridges generations, to a sunlit California beach where a stranger’s kindness sparks a lifelong bond, "God Storys" offers an awe-inspiring odyssey through moments that defy mere coincidence.

In this compilation of 30 true-life vignettes, Victorya Wright shares her personal encounters with ...Read more

The story of Central Park stretches from its nineteenth-century origins — with an unlikely cast of colorful characters — to the experiences of some 42 million visitors each year, and no single book could encompass it. "Ten Thousand Central Parks: A Climate-Change Parable" nonetheless attempts the impossible. It seeks to uncover the layered ...Read more

'DIE MY LOVE'

Rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity, language, and some violent content.

What it’s about: A young mother experiences postpartum psychosis while living in a rural small town with her husband and baby.

The kid attractor factor: This is an intense and harrowing depiction of a mental health crisis, not any appeal for kids. ...Read more

I married a hottie. He loves the heat and the sun.

When the summer sun is scorching and most people hide inside to keep from flash frying, he goes outside to do yard work.

I tend toward the cool side. Some like it hot, some like it cold, and for some mysterious reason they tend to marry one another.

Our favorite pastime is playing endless ...Read more

Q. The kids’ dad has not set up the kids’ rooms in his apartment yet and it’s been 6 months. They are telling me they want to see their dad, but they are tired of sleeping on the floor. I think it’s finances. I don’t want them to stop seeing their dad, but I understand that they want a bed. What’s good ex-etiquette?

A. Most who ...Read more

Every nine years, the Game of Nines begins again. A cryptic letter arrives. A body turns up. And the killer dares the authorities to stop them before time runs out.

This is where "Game of Nines" by James Patterson and Max DiLallo sinks its hooks into listeners. It’s not just another serial killer story; it’s a psychological chess match ...Read more