ArcaMax

'HONEY DON'T!'

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

What it’s about: A Bakersfield, California, private investigator looking into the suspicious death of a potential client turns up church corruption and police malfeasance during her investigation.

The kid attractor factor: Not much — this...Read more

Our primary care doctor announced he is joining a concierge practice and invited us to follow him. We were excited, thinking this meant luxurious fluffy white robes in the exam room and 500-thread-count cotton sheets on the table instead of that crinkly deli wrap paper.

Visions of coffee bars danced in our heads. The concierge practice could ...Read more

Q. My 14-year-old son refuses to come to my home and I have no idea why. I’m supposed to see him a night or two during the week and every other weekend, but he just won’t come over. I don’t talk to his mother much and when we do, it’s not pretty. She tells me there’s nothing she can do. I think she’s probably badmouthing me and is ...Read more

From its very inception, "Taking the Stairs & Liking It" has a remarkable origin story: it was inspired by a chance 2005 conversation with none other than President Jimmy Carter. Author Lauren Speeth, PhD, took to heart the nuggets of wisdom Carter shared with her during that serendipitous meeting, and over the years she developed those insights...Read more

At the intersection of metaphysics and quantum mechanics lies a vast area of exploration for curious minds. Among these explorations, perhaps one of the most compelling is how our ancient spiritual traditions can be reframed in the context of modern science, where we can examine and understand them in new ways.

Joseph L. Bensinger’s "The ...Read more

Thanks to their miles-high vantage point, aviators develop an outsider’s perspective of life on the ground, like the Apollo 17 astronauts who saw the earth looking like a “blue marble.”

In his memoir, former U.S. Air Force and airline pilot Richard Hess takes the broad view. "High Flight: A Pilot’s Journey Through Life" is an all-...Read more

Family guide to new movie releases — "Highest 2 Lowest" and "Nobody 2."

'HIGHEST 2 LOWEST'

Rated R for language throughout and brief drug use.

What it’s about: A wealthy music mogul is faced with a dilemma when his son's best friend is kidnapped and he has to pay the ransom or save his own company with the money instead.

The kid ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The scene at the dais in Riverside's City Council chambers looked a bit different on a recent Monday morning: Instead of men and women in business attire, children wearing navy blue T-shirts emblazoned with vibrant orange and yellow butterfly wings occupied the swivel chairs.

The children were participating in a mock council ...Read more

We had a good-size crowd together this week. Three out-of-town grands and six grands who live in town, met up for three consecutive days. We rotated from house to house to house so that no one house would be singled out as a disaster area.

Due to the size, volume and rapid movement of the group, my intelligence gathering is often limited to ...Read more

Q. I feel like my wife is too close to her ex. I realize they are co-parents and must talk about their kids, but I caught her on the phone in the middle of the night chatting with him. We did have a problem with her teenage son, and they said that’s what they were talking about, but talking in the middle of the night seems like crossing the ...Read more

If you can’t swing a trip to the Big Apple (or even your local community theater), don’t fret.

We’ve got the next best thing, and let me tell you, these books deliver the same vibe as some of Broadway’s buzziest, weirdest and most unforgettable productions.

The People Who Report More Stress by Alejandro Varela

(If You Wanted to Watch...Read more

Too often, period-related issues are shrugged off or treated with one-size-fits-all solutions, leaving women feeling frustrated and unheard. Heidi Moretti’s mission is to change that narrative. In "Period Fix," she asserts that women have far more options to address period problems than simply taking synthetic hormones or “putting up with it...Read more

Only a small fraction of Americans know what it’s truly like to fight a war and live with its aftermath. Les Carroll’s novel "This Troubled Ground" bridges that gap by taking readers from the somber, cold tarmac of Dover Air Force Base to the battle-scarred landscapes of Afghanistan.

Inspired by true events from Carroll’s own military ...Read more

'FREAKIER FRIDAY'

Rated PG for thematic elements, rude humor, language and some suggestive references.

What it’s about: This sequel to the 2003 body swap comedy sees Anna (Lindsay Lohan) all grown up and contending with a teenager of her own while she gets ready to marry the handsome Eric (Manny Jacinto), while managing his daughter, and her...Read more