Raina Kelley

In the event this is a deal breaker, you should know right off the bat that "The Stolen Child," by Keith Donohue, belongs to the genre known as fantasy, and that its pages are populated by hobgoblins and changelings.

Millions of people dream of starting a small business, but 36-year-old Jen Bilik wasn't one of them. Instead, she wanted to write a memoir designed like an illustrated, annotated yearbook.

Oops. She did it again. Britney Spears was photographed driving last week, with her son, Sean Preston, in an improperly installed car seat. It's easy to pile on Britney, but experts say it's not an uncommon mistake for new moms and dads.

Matrimonial LawyerTrapped in a miserable marriage? TIP SHEET's Raina Kelley asked Felder how to get out with your dignity and your shirt.Gather all the financial info you can 'cause it's often a matter of he who has the best information wins.

Do U.S. presidents and other heads of state travel with a passport? And do they need to pass through customs in each country? What about their staff?--M. Shaffer, Albany, N.Y.

TIVO 'Commander in Chief.' Oh, no--Madame President! Your new time slot puts you up against "ER" and "Without a Trace" (ABC, Thurs., 10 p.m., ET). BUY the Time Mug.

Blame the casket makers. Traditionally, the left side of a casket is upholstered and cushioned, while the right side is finished but not fancy. This is because during open viewings, nobody sees the entire coffin.

Are there quality differences in stainless steel--i.e., cost variances (and cleanability)--in stainless kitchen sinks? If so how, and why?--Faye Pugh, Calgary, Alta.

We have a funny relationship with food. Most Americans worry that Crisco will kill us, but we also hoard memories of Sunday gravy and fresh peach cobbler.

Last week's international Home & Housewares Show in Chicago featured a lot of pimped-out appliances. Even the mops looked as if they belonged in a MoMA exhibit.

Abide With Me by Elizabeth Strout Loss pervades every page of this follow-up to Strout's best-selling novel "Amy and Isabelle." Don't be deterred. Strout has an uncanny ability to express each character's obsession with a past that can't come back but won't go away.

The protagonist of Colson Whitehead's new novel, "Apex Hides the Hurt," is a "nomenclature consultant"--a veritable Adam of Madison Avenue. He's also a mystery, moving through the book without a name or an immediate explanation for why he limps or what the "misfortune" was that's caused him to leave his high-flying career.

The price of wireless printers is dropping. So is the weight, as brands offer smaller options. Want to get unplugged? Here are some new offerings that stack up well: the Dell All-in- One Printer 964 scans, faxes and prints an impressive 26 pages per minute from any room in your house ($199 plus $99 for the Wireless Adapter 3300; dell.com ).

Celebrate the glory of the Super Bowl with a pigskin film fest. Here are our gridiron picks. 'All the Right Moves' Tom Cruise plays his way out of a dying Pa.

If you're looking for a New Year's Eve that never stops rocking, check out Las Vegas. The city's celebration includes fireworks shot from the roofs of 10 casinos along the Strip, or raise your glass at the World's Largest Toast; admission is $40 and includes performances by Cheap Trick and the Spin Doctors ( vegasexperience.com ).

The reason we loved holidays is kids isn't just because we got all those presents. It's because we didn't have to do anything! Children don't have to stay up writing cards while baking 12 dozen cookies for 13 different social events and wrapping gifts between batches.

Why they're celebrities isn't always clear, but they sold $94.9 million of their personal perfumes in 2004. Here is our unscientific review of how they actually smell.

The death of civil-rights hero Rosa Parks may raise questions for your children. Here is a list of resources that will help them make sense of an America when liberty and justice weren't available to all."Rosa Parks: My Story" ($6.29; amazon.com ) is an autobiography for grades four through six.

They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway, but this season, great theater will shine all over New York City. Off-Broadway shows are typically cheaper than their White Way cousins, but that doesn't mean that the tickets are easy to get.

Dreading the first frost? Your plants may be going into hibernation, but garden centers all over the world are introducing new perennials for fall planting.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (aafa.org) estimates that as many as 20 percent of Americans are allergic to ragweed, so don't assume your itchy throat and watery eyes are a cold.

Fall is here, and that means fewer bugs and no crowds--the perfect time for camping. Grab your tent (try the Eureka Titan, www.eurekacamping.com) and this cool gear and get backpacking.1.

Two years ago, Kimberly Koehlinger of Ft. Wayne, Ind., quit the Prozac she'd been taking for 15 years to treat anxiety and depression. She hated side effects like night sweats and insomnia.

When you're away from home, being sick can be scary. We could tell you to eat right, exercise and get some sleep, but you won't, so here are some other tips for taking care of yourself:Before you leave for school, get a complete physical, a copy of your immunization record from your doc and a list of any allergies, past medical problems or special needs.

Three years ago, Leslie Bienen, a veterinarian from Missoula, Mont., easily became pregnant with her first child, a boy she named Pel. Now 39 and ready for her second child, Bienen isn't taking any chances.

A cold soda sure is refreshing on a hot day. But which one? Last week Coca-Cola unveiled Coke Zero, a no-calorie drink meant to taste like regular Coke. That brought the grand total of Cokes and Pepsis to 28--yes, 28.

The best part of a picnic isn't the food or the great outdoors: it's the gear. A classic wicker oval picnic basket ($60; crateandbarrel.com) is perfect for a romantic date by the lake.

Unless Tiger Woods is coming over to shag balls, you don't need grass that looks like Augusta National's. Suburban lawn warriors use 10 times the pesticides per acre that farmers do, and don't get us started on all the gas and oil in those lawnmowers.

Imagine that you and your husband of 12 years are having a lovely dinner to celebrate the sale of his four hardware stores to a conglomerate. You tell him how proud you are of his success.

Last week's International Home & Housewares Show had acres of iconic kitchen gear tricked out in colors so bright we thought we were in Tahiti, not Chicago. Even if you never cook at home, these gadgets will look fabulous just sitting out on your counter.