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A heavily detailed story of the great Nina Simone – her really unique place in music and American society – with a strong focus on the boundaries she broke and bridges she burned! Author Nadine Cohodas wrote a previous book on Dinah Washington, and does an even better job here with Simone – really laying out the complexity of the woman and her music, but in ways that never over-sensationalize any of the key historical details either. There's a pacing here that really shows Nina's strong commitment over the years – and the heavy notes in the back show that Cohodas really did her research. 448 pages, hardcover, with black and white images.

Gritty prose from the legendary Harlan Ellison – a writer known best for his science fiction work, but who's represented here by some very early material that's plenty violent and salacious! The writing should be taken in the spirit of the title and cover – and Harlan himself does a great job of situating the work in his introduction to the book – telling the tale of the somewhat sleazy roots of this read, which is almost as titillating as the stories themselves! Yet despite the obvious apology for the schlock quality of the stories (some weren't even originally billed under Ellison's own name!) – there's a real force to the writing throughout – a youthful, powerful feel that bridges the gap between classic noir and underground exploitation – as you'll find in stories like "Sex Gang", "Jeannie With The Bedroom Eyes", "A Girl Named Poison", and "Both Ends Of The Candle".