When times are tough – whether because of illness, bereavement or receiving bad news – it can be hard to find the right words. Help comes in the form of this beautifully packaged gift book, comprising 100 life-affirming poems handpicked by an expert on poetry. Grouping the poems by theme – from ‘Hearing Bad News’ to ‘How To Carry On’ – this gem of a book features contributions from classical poets such as John Keats, Emily Bront , W.H. Auden and Christina Rossetti alongside lines from more contemporary poets such as Philip Larkin, Elizabeth Jennings, Raymond Carver, Carol Ann Duffy and Wendy Cope. It adds up to a wonderful pick-me-up – a self-administered drug guaranteed to make a dark day brighter and act as a great lyrical crutch.