Who knew procrastination could be so fruitful? Smith (White Teeth) wrote the essays collected here while missing deadlines for her novels. Among them: her father’s experiences during the invasion of Normandy; thoughts on E.M. Forster and David Foster Wallace; and idolizing the women Katherine Hepburn played. The biggest surprise is her movie reviews — nothing’s stale about her takes on ‘Munich,’ ‘Capote,’ and ‘Shopgirl.’ And so much better than the films you never saw in the first place.