PenguinReaders' Group
 

Editors' Choice

Anna Kelly, Editorial Assistant, Hamish Hamilton

Changing My Mind

Changing My Mind by Zadie Smith

If you're reading this, then there's a good chance that you like books. And if you like books, then there's much more than a good chance that you'll like Changing My Mind, Zadie Smith’s new book of essays. Jam-packed full of insights, asides and musings about books, it made me feel like I was lapping up a selection of literary highlights – an array of handpicked moments, characters and ideas, all teased out and explored and lovingly wondered about. Ultimately, it reminded me why I love reading, and what reading means.

And it's not just about books, either – it darts from literature to films to real life and back again, constantly showing things from new angles with all the wisdom and humour you'd expect from a writer who's as comfortable and inspired when she's talking about 50 Cent as she is when discussing E.M. Forster. It's also – surprisingly, and touchingly – a very personal book that reveals a great deal about Zadie Smith as a person. Shimmering behind the very frank and conversational tone of the essays is the story the title implies – a journey of self-discovery and self-knowledge, and a fascinating and unusual insight into her life so far.

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