In 100 Poems, readers will enjoy the most loved and celebrated poems, as well as discovering new favourites.

Sometimes I did feel a few of the poems were overly long with too much description but most were short and easy to read. These poetic prescriptions and wise words of advice offer comfort, delight and inspiration for all; a space for reflection, and that precious realization - I'm not the only one who feels like this. This anthology has so much to offer and every time I think about it next to the bed ready for me to read last thing at night it brings happiness and a smile to my face. Life-affirming, witty and full of wonder, these poems chronicle his own battle with the dark and are fuelled by resilience and defiant joy. This year has been a very busy and at times stressful year so reading a poem every day has helped me to cope and put me in a good place at the beginning of each day.I don’t want to spoil the discovery for others but she raises some interesting questions about context and the balance between poet and poem in the reader’s consideration that had me thinking when I wasn’t dipping in to the poems. What is particularly enjoyable about this book is its layout providing detail about the poet such as the time they lived in making it a wonderful collection to dip into and I would thoroughly recommend adding it to any book lovers collection. Seamus Heaney had the idea to form a personal selection of poems from across the entire arc of his writing life, small yet comprehensive enough to serve as an introduction for all comers. The day-to-day format of the anthology invites readers to make poetry a part of their daily routine, and makes sure that they discover something inspirational, life affirming, provocative, moving or entertaining each and every day.

One of the absolute pleasures here is the attention to more marginalised poets such as those from the LGBTQIA+ community so that A Poet for Every Day of the Year feels inclusive and engaging. We’re currently reading “A poem for every day of the year”, and we’ve enjoyed it so much, have said that we need to find a good next book to keep this habit going. Perfect for reading aloud and sharing with all the family, this book dazzles with an array of familiar favourites and remarkable new discoveries.I have listed some of my favourites from this listening below but I think if I re-listen at some other time time of year this list might be totally different. I confess I haven’t read the whole book yet as I am savouring the dated poems and poets each night so that this is a gift of a book that will last me the entire year. With poems from greats like William Shakespeare to modern poets like Carol Ann Duffy, this collection will keep you company for every day of your life. There is balm for the soul, fire for the belly, a cooling compress for the fevered brow, solace for the wounded, an arm around the lonely shoulder - the whole collection is a matchless compound of hug, tonic and kiss' Stephen FrySometimes only a poem will do.