Britney Spears Seeks Enlightenment, Retail Therapy

Gearing up for what could prove to be a bruising custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline, Britney Spears apparently sought some spiritual enrichment this weekend.

By shopping.

While the exercise is hardly unusual for the fallen pop star, her purchase was: a book. We know. Britney Spears can read! You learn something every day.

And it's not just any book, but a $12.95 Hallmark gift volume, 50 Truths Worth Knowing, that Britney Spears picked up, along with some candles, at a drug store in Los Angeles.

As the picture shows, Spears went shopping with her "cousin" Alli Sims. Why do we put "cousin" in quotes? Because some (Perez Hilton included) claim they are not even related, and neither has confirmed or denied the nature of their relationship concretely.

Anyway, back to Britney Spears' new reading material.

"If you like 'food for thought' you'll enjoy a veritable feast in 50 Truths Worth Knowing," is how the 216-page hardcover (with ribbon bookmark) is described on the Hallmark Web site.

"A collection of fifty true-life experiences, this uplifting, unforgettable book offers convincing proof that the most important truths are often revealed in simple and surprising ways."

The singer has certainly been surprising herself of late. Last week, the normally brown-eyed girl tried out green contacts for a video shoot in Santa Monica.

Alli Sims, 26, too was faced with a surprise development of her own early Sunday when, after partying with Spears at a private house in Hollywood, she got served with legal papers that will force the former assistant / friend to testify at Spears' divorce hearing.