ArcaMax

Q. My 11-year-old daughter started her period and asked her mother not to tell me. So, she didn't. I found out almost two months later. Isn't this something my ex should have told me, even if our daughter asked her not to? What's good ex-etiquette?

A. This is a tender situation, and it sits right at the intersection of a child's growing need ...Read more

It happened at our oldest daughter’s place. I rang the bell, peeked in the side window and saw an ill-defined, furry mass lumbering toward the door.

My mind flashed back to my days in the Pacific Northwest when Bigfoot sightings were common. Was it a Bigfoot sighting? Here and now, in a sprawling suburb?

As the creature drew closer, I could ...Read more

These six novels delve into the complexities of the human heart, exploring love, loss and the transformative power of redemption.

From haunting journeys of trauma and healing to moral dilemmas, unforgettable friendships and the weight of memory, each story invites readers into richly drawn worlds where courage, faith and the struggle to ...Read more

This is the first May Cobb book I’ve read, but it sure won’t be the last – I’m hooked!

Cobb has received tremendous acclaim for her deliciously twisty best-selling domestic thrillers in the past such as "The Hunting Wives" which also went on to be a hit TV series on Netflix.

And she really hits it out of the park once again with her ...Read more

'SCREAM 7'

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

What it’s about: Sidney Prescott contends with another Ghostface killer terrorizing her home, family and teenage daughter.

The kid attractor factor: Teens might be drawn to the slasher genre.

Good lessons/bad lessons: Overprotective might not be protective enough.

...Read more

Our garden is always at its best in mid-winter when I nestle by a cozy fire and linger over seed catalogs. I have yet to plant a single seed into the ground, which is now granite.

As of Page 3 in the catalog that arrived two days ago, I have visions of deep red tomatoes piled high in bushel baskets. Page 10 adds pole beans gracefully winding ...Read more

Q. My ex continually tells our 10-year-old the gory details of our divorce. Our child doesn't really understand what he's being told and comes home with wild stories -- some parts are true; other parts are completely off. How can I help my child understand what's real without badmouthing the other parent? What's good ex-etiquette?

A. Oh my. I ...Read more

Three intricately woven stories of addiction, resentment, and deceit converge at an exclusive rehabilitation facility for the rich and famous. The mysterious death of a patient threatens to expose the troubled history of the treatment center, along with the painful secrets of each guest.

Bestselling author Alyssa Sheinmel presents her first ...Read more

In an era when conversations about masculinity often oscillate between defensiveness and despair, Vince Benevento’s "Boys Will Be Men: 8 Lessons for the Lost American Male" takes a different approach. Rather than debating what masculinity should mean, Benevento focuses on what young men actually need: structure, accountability, mentorship and ...Read more

'HOW TO MAKE A KILLING'

Rated R for language and some violence/bloody images.

What it’s about: A disgraced heir to a large family fortune decides to eliminate the competition in line for the inheritance.

The kid attractor factor: This is more of an adult dark comedy — not really for kids.

Good lessons/bad lessons: Is being wealthy really...Read more

Q. When I got a divorced, I moved to another town with my now-9-year-old son. His father continues to live in our family home and maintain the same friends, which includes my best friend and her husband who also have a son my son’s age. They are best friends, too. When my son visits his father, he wants to play with his old friend, but when my...Read more

Just over four months after Planned Parenthood affiliates were defunded by the Trump administration, California injected another $90 million lifeline in “reproductive healthcare” grants to the state’s seven affiliates — among the largest in the United States.

The latest funding comes as a result of legislation, Senate Bill 106, passed ...Read more

Stan Andrews begins life as Stan Anekstein, the son of Jewish immigrants in the Bronx. He loves drawing. He loves movies. He wants a wider life than the one he sees on his block. The authors show how this restless kid becomes a gifted pilot in the US Army Air Corps, flying more than forty combat missions in the Pacific during World War II. Those...Read more

Queer Gothic fiction is dangerous in the best way: it whispers, it seduces, it drags you into dark hallways where desire hides in shadow and power shifts with every glance. The following novels are about women, outsiders and anyone daring enough to claim a voice in worlds built to silence them.

If you want stories that haunt, thrill and make ...Read more