Grab your board, test your skills and balance on this "mini" wave while retro surf rock plays in the background, all from the comfort of your desk. But -- watch out! -- if you lose your balance and wipe-out you'll have to do the swim of shame back to shore. This kit includes: A balancing wave with three different surf rock songs A finger surfboard Customisable surfboard stickersA 48-page book, with surfboard tricks, fun facts and trivia

Challenge your friends to a competition of skill and speed with Finger Log Rolling! A lumberjack's favorite sport, you can test your finger endurance and try to be the last one standing to claim the title of "Log Rolling Champion."

This kit includes:

- Hollowed base to fill with water

- 4" mini log

- Two pairs of finger shoes

- 32-page illustrated mini book with history, log rolling techniques, and the rules of the game

One of the most popular contestants ever to appear on "American Idol" gives his fans an all-access pass to the wildly popular television show--and opens up about how becoming an "Idol" star changed his life forever.
Sanjaya Malakar didn't need to win "American Idol" to take America by storm. He was just seventeen when his unique style, soft-spoken demeanor, and memorable song selections on the record-breaking show's sixth season captured hearts across the country.
In his candid book, Sanjaya opens up about what it feels like to go from obscurity as a high school student near Seattle to worldwide fame as a top ten finalist on one of the most popular television shows in American history. For the first time, the "People's Idol" talks about life before Randy, Simon, Paula, and "Sanjayamania," and offers his devoted "Fanjayas" an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the blockbuster show. From going to Hollywood with his beloved sister, Shyamali, to becoming the most highly anticipated performer of season six, to facing the unforgiving chopping block, Sanjaya tells his fans everything they want to know. Finally, he shares how his life has changed since he left "Idol," and where his music--and unforgettable persona--will take him next.

ONE...TWO...FREDDY'S COMING FOR YOU....

You've seen him in the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" series -- and in your darkest dreams. The sadistic killer with the flame-charred face. The knife-blade claws. The razor-sharp wit. "Freddy."..But you've never seen him like this. Unflinching. Uncensored. Un"masked."

Meet Robert Englund, the award-winning actor best known for his role as Freddy Krueger -- the legendary horror icon featured on the American Film Institute's "100 Greatest Heroes and Villains" roster -- a character as unforgettable and enduring as Bela Lugosi's Dracula and Boris Karloff's Frankenstein. Now, for the first time, the man behind the latex mask tells his story in this captivating new memoir, published to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the first "A Nightmare on Elm Street" film.

You see, Robert Englund is no monster at all, but a deeply funny, charming Hollywood veteran. Packed with Robert's hilarious stories, playful self-deprecation, and a generous helping of never-before-revealed "A Nightmare on Elm Street" trivia, "Hollywood Monster" offers an unparalleled look at the beloved film icon. With insider savvy and gallows humor, Robert recounts his audition for Wes Craven, the inspiration for Freddy's character, the grueling makeup sessions, his soon-to-be-famous costars, the often disastrous on-set blunders, and the wave of popularity that propelled this humble California surfer kid all the way to the top.

Of course, fame and fortune as Freddy came years after the young actor shared a trailer with screen legend Henry Fonda, was punched in the face by Richard Gere, took down Burt Reynolds, and muscled his way between Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sally Field, and Jeff Bridges.

But soon after his high-profile stint in the groundbreaking TV miniseries V, Robert Englund took on the most celebrated role of his career -- the macabre and wisecracking killer who quickly became a household name. From the moment Freddy Krueger dragged his claws across a rusty pipe in the opening dream sequence, a legend had been unleashed -- and a star was born. This is his story.

""Welcome to prime time, bitch."

" -- Frederick Charles Krueger, bastard son of a hundred maniacs

A PARODY OF THE BELOVED FANTASY DOORSTOP... ER, SAGA

In the land of the Eight (or was it Six?) Kingdoms--where the seasons last as long as a series of bestselling Tolkien-esque novels--trouble is brewing. The mud is growing muddier, the onions are rotting, the Wall to the North (or is it the South?) is melting, and Lord Barker of Summerseve is getting worried. His wife is addicted to Godsweede, his King is too fat to fit into his armor, and the foreshadowing is out of control. All in all, not the position you want to be in when Summer is coming.

From this world of outdoor fornication with horse-people (and indoor fornication with blood relatives) comes an epic story of novella proportions. Amid plots and counterplots, power-hungry warriors and overworked ravens, poor reception and no wireless, the future of the Barkers, their BFFs, and their enemies dangles in the balance, as each strives to survive long enough to appear in at least two of the sequels.

"His teeth might be wooden, but his prose is not."

---J.R.R. Madison

George R. R. Washington cannot tell a lie: "A Game of Groans" was not prepared, authorized, licensed, approved, or endorsed by any person or entity involved in creating or producing any of the Song of Ice and Fire books or the "Games of Throne" television program. Please direct any inquiries to our legal counsel, Clarence R. R. Darrow.

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers was one of the most enduring, popular, reliable and vital small bands in modern jazz history. Blakey was not only a distinguished, inventive and powerful drummer, but along with Duke Ellington and Miles Davis, he was one of jazz's foremost talent scouts. The musicians who flowed seamlessly in and out of this constantly evolving collective during its 36-year run were among the most important artists not just of their eras, but of any era. Though their respective innovations were vital to the evolution of bebop, hard bop and neo bop, the recorded work of the Messengers sidemen has never been properly analyzed. Until now. Hard Bop Academy: The Sidemen of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers critically examines the multitude of gifted artists who populated the many editions of the Jazz Messengers. In addition to dissecting the sidemen's most consequential work with Blakey's band, jazz musician and acclaimed novelist Alan Goldsher offers up engaging profiles of everyone from Wynton Marsalis to Terence Blanchard to Hank Mobley to Wayne Shorter to Horace Silver to Keith Jarrett to Curtis Fuller to Steve Davis. And that's only the beginning. Goldsher conducted over 30 interviews with surviving graduates of Blakey's Hard Bop Academy, many of whom spoke at length of their tenure with the legendary "Buhaina" for the first time. Alan Goldsher is a bassist who has recorded with Janet Jackson, Digable Planets, Cypress Hill and Naughty By Nature. His writing has been published in Bass Player, Tower Pulse, Sport and BasketBull: Chicago Bulls Magazine. Goldsher's debut novel, Jam, was published in 2002 by Permanent Press. He lives in Chicago. Hardcover.

THE BEST WAY TO BECOME A ROCK STAR IS SOMETIMES THE "WORST" WAY TO BECOME A ROCK STAR Unruly and antagonistic, the Washington State rock trio Modest Mouse would seem like one of the least likely candidates for mainstream stardom: Their often brilliant live performances sometimes collapsed into utter chaos. Their highly original, highly off-center songs ran as long as eleven minutes. And their leader managed to raise eyebrows among music writers, law officials . . . and sometimes even his fans.
But Modest Mouse persevered. They didn't compromise their original, compelling musical style, nor did they lighten up on the attitude. They just waited for the world at large to catch up.
In 2004, with the release of their smash single "Float On," it finally happened. And it was worth the wait. For everybody.
Journalist Alan Goldsher uncovers the strange, little-known details of Modest Mouse's rise from DIY indie heroes to platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated international superstars. Goldsher also reveals the troubled background and fractured history of frontman Isaac Brock, a charismatic, cantankerous singer/songwriter who has spent as much time avoiding the media as he has attempting to control it.
Thoroughly researched, sharply funny, and filled with more than thirty rare photos, this unauthorized biography shows how Modest Mouse trashed the "Behind the Music "mold and created their own unique version of the rock 'n' roll, rags-to-expensive-rags success story.

In this hilarious chronicle of the zombified Liverpudlians' rise to fame, "bloody" is no longer just a four-letter word. It's a fookin' way of life for the undead moptops, whose arrival is heralded by the bloodcurdling screams of sanguine American girls who twitch, and writhe, and scratch their own eyes out in manic ecstasy. Come on, surely you've seen the footage from the Ed Sullivan Show! Through hidden messages in their songs, the Beatles mind-meld millions of delicious fans, and their infamous backstage door becomes an one-way ticket to a particularly gruesome session of sucking face. That is, until a notorious zombie hunter named Mick arrives, the fierce wiggle of his lithesome hips and shoulders his only defense against a seemingly impenetrable glut of reanimated corpses. Guard your gray matter, ladies and blokes, and prepare yourselves for a finger-licking feast of the mind!

An affectionate examination of legendary jazz pianist Dave Brubeck and his iconic 1959 album, Time Out! Propelled by the unlikely hit "Take Five," the pianist's 1959 classic Time Out! was the first jazz album to earn platinum status, making it one of only eight platinum records in jazz history. Born as an experiment in time signatures and eclectic musical styles the artist encountered while traveling abroad, Time Out! moved the genre forward and became one of the most influential albums of all time. What was it about this subtle, artsy session that captured the ears of both hardcore jazz fans and casual listeners alike? Why did Brubeck, a bespectacled intellectual who seemingly wasn't as hip as Davis and Coltrane, become a legitimate mainstream star in a genre not known for stardom? Author and bassist Alan Goldsher delves into Brubeck's classic record, examining why the album and the pianist caught the zeitgeist, and measuring its continuing impact on music of all styles. Engaging and informative, Digging Dave Brubeck and Time Out! pays homage to one of the most vital, most enduring recordings in jazz history.