ArcaMax

Q. I have no idea how to co-parent when my ex is such a jerk and is always telling me how I screwed up: I can’t parent the kids right. I don’t cook nutritious food. I drink too much.

I’m so beaten down I don’t want to talk to them about anything, let alone consult them about our kids. What’s good ex-etiquette?

A. My first thought ...Read more

We accidentally left for our vacation in Maine a day early. I take full credit — or blame — it depends on who tells the story. There’s nothing wrong with leaving a day early, except that when you get there you won’t have a place to stay.

A quick online search landed us a reservation just outside a picturesque New England town we’d ...Read more

Every anthology has to choose its organizing principle, but few feel as alive as the one guiding "Coven of the East: Reimagining Asian Women’s Magical Histories." Editors Angela Yuriko Smith and Pauline Chow map the 22 entries against the 22 Major Arcana of the Rider–Waite–Smith tarot. It’s a clever structure, intuitive, almost organic, ...Read more

In "A Spell for Midwinter’s Heart," author Morgan Lockhart whisks the reader away into a small mountain town filled with magic. This book hits all the marks I want from a romance for the holiday season: cozy, fantastical, and filled with eclectic characters and local business owners rising up against the industrial complex.

Our protagonist, ...Read more

There are countless reasons why the woods make for a great setting in novels.

In the woods, it’s easy for us to get lost, easy to think we’re progressing towards a destination only to find ourselves back where we started, easy to disappear. In the woods, technology is unreliable, and often we find it best to leave our phones behind. Our ...Read more

'BLACK PHONE 2'

Rated R for strong violent content, gore, teen drug use, and language.

What it’s about: Siblings in 1982 Denver have to fend off the kiddie serial killer the Grabber who haunts them in their dreams.

The kid attractor factor: This is a fairly violent horror movie — not really for kids.

Good lessons/bad lessons: Families ...Read more

“(I)t is a massively more powerful and scary thing than I knew about.” That’s how Adam Raine’s dad characterized ChatGPT when he reviewed his son’s conversations with the AI tool. Adam tragically died by suicide. His parents are now suing OpenAI and Sam Altman, the company’s CEO, based on allegations that the tool contributed to his ...Read more

Q. I am the proud mom of two very active boys and a 3-year-old little girl. They all tell me they want to trick-or-treat with their father and me, but we have been separated for almost two years now. We live close by, and I’m willing to try, but I have to admit, just thinking about it gives me anxiety. It sounds like a great idea, but a lot to...Read more

Because I love, love, love saving time, I am looking forward to the first weekend in November when the entire nation will save 60 minutes — not the Sunday night news program but an hour on the clock.

Of course, nobody likes to mention the fact that the only reason we are “saving” an hour is because an hour was stolen from us in the spring...Read more

At a time when women’s rights are once again threatened, it’s worth looking back at what feminist authors warned us about decades ago. When Margaret Atwood published "The Handmaid’s Tale" in 1985, she was part of a powerful wave of women writing feminist dystopian science fiction, which we now call speculative fiction.

The late 20th ...Read more

Wendy B. Correa’s new memoir "My Pretty Baby: Seeking Truth and Finding Healing," details a fascinating life defined by resilience and accomplishment in the face of childhood trauma and a dysfunctional family environment. As Correa deftly shows in this writing debut, life is not so much about what happens to you as it is what you do with what ...Read more

COLUMBIA, S.C. — When South Carolina state Sen. Josh Kimbrell kicked off his campaign for governor inside of a restaurant in Inman, he brought out a table after his speech to sign a piece of paper.

It was the Moms for Liberty Parent Pledge, which he signed after promising to create an office of parental rights if he were elected governor.

�...Read more

TRON: ARES

Rated PG-13 for violence/action.

What it’s about: The third TRON movie sees the grid invading the real world as two tech companies strive for AI dominance.

The kid attractor factor: Not much. Maybe some appeal for teens in the aesthetic and spectacle.

Good lessons/bad lessons: AI is only as good as the person who wields it. ...Read more

The number of children uprooted by Haiti’s spiraling gang violence has nearly doubled in the last year to 680,000, while those in need of humanitarian assistance now stands at just under a quarter of the country’s estimated 12 million population.

Meanwhile, with more than 1,600 schools directly affected by the violence – including 1,080 ...Read more

Q. My ex just changed the email address that he uses to communicate with me to include a derogatory reference to me. It’s obvious what he’s doing, but I’m having a difficult time staying calm. What’s good ex-etiquette?

A. First and foremost, it’s important to acknowledge that any attempt to disrespect you, especially in a shared co-...Read more