EXPANSIVE, indulgent, therapeutic – Zadie Smith’s book of essays is a perfect excuse to curl up in an armchair with a mug of coffee while the wind howls outside.

Changing My Mind reveals Smith as a thoughtful writer who ponders over her culture and the election of Barack Obama in one moment, before exploring her obsession with Katharine Hepburn and Greta Garbo in another.

This is not a book to read cover-tocover, but to dip into and savour, rereading her beautifully-constructed prose. Her simple piece on writing a novel is hugely enjoyable and informative and worth the price of the book alone.

Emily Ashton