The SSiW Welsh Book Club šŸ“– šŸ“š šŸ‘“

I need to make room on my bookshelf for more Bethan Gwanas books :rofl:so these are up for grabs! :slight_smile: Either swop or sell :slight_smile: image

Merch Y Gwyllt - Bethan Gwanas

Iā€™m not sure that many things are worth waiting 17 years for like some people had to wait for this sequel but I only read the first one a few years ago so I didnā€™t have to. :joy:

This is the follow up to Gwrach y Gwyllt (read about that here ā€¦ https://forum.saysomethingin.com/t/the-ssiw-welsh-book-club-book-books-eyeglasses/13975/86 ) and is in the same vein so if you enjoyed the first one, which I did, then this one is a must. It follows Megā€™s life as she grows up from birth through to adulthood with her ā€œmumā€ and two ā€œauntiesā€ ā€¦ I really donā€™t want to give details for fear of spoiling the first book for those that havenā€™t read it yet (where have you been?). This is obviously a story about witches with lots of spell casting, etc. but donā€™t expect Harry Potter! There is, though, a nice little mention for SaySomethinginWelsh, brilliant!

Thoroughly enjoyable, highly recommended, really, really excellent. Bethan says in the prelogue that ā€¦ ā€œGyda llaw, maeā€™n well darllen Gwrach y Gwyllt cyn Merch y Gwyllt, ond nid ywā€™n anghenreidiol.ā€ (By the way, itā€™s better to read GyG before MyG, but itā€™s not necessary.)

This is not suitable for children or prudish people ā€¦ thereā€™s even a warning on the back cover, ā€œOherwydd ei ieithwedd aā€™i themau, nid ywā€™r llyfr hwn yn addas i blant.ā€ With that in mind itā€™s not written with learners in mind ā€¦ enjoy with a dictionary if needed ā€¦ but enjoy all the same.

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Hey, Iā€™d be really interested in the top three - I was aiming to buy them anyway! Let me know somehow if this is possible (Iā€™m new to the forum).
<3

Hi Davey! Cysgod and eFfrindiau are available for you :slight_smile: I had an enquiry about Ffenestri so Iā€™ll just chase that up before confirming. Iā€™ll send you a PM :slight_smile:

All the books I posted above are now on their way to new homes, so happy reading everyone! :slight_smile: Iā€™m sure Iā€™ll have some others up for grabs soon though! :slight_smile:

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Adar oā€™r Unlliw - Catrin Lliar Jones

Iā€™m feeling very privileged to have been given the chance to read this book before it arrives in the shops. Iā€™m not going to lie in order to stay in Catrinā€™s good books, Iā€™m going to give it my completely honest opinion ā€¦ so here goes.

For anyone that read "O Mam Bachā€™ (read that one here The SSiW Welsh Book Club šŸ“– šŸ“š šŸ‘“ - #7 by gruntius - Lolfa SSiW Lounge - SSi Forum ) that came out a couple of years ago you may remember Catrinā€™s short story about Luned, a mum of two trying to survive a day at the Denbigh eisteddfod with a hungry month old baby ā€¦ well this is the follow up to that. Life is never, and probably will never, be easy for Luned but with a loving, caring husband and a couple of close friends now in her life sheā€™ll get through it. A young lady called Shoned in the next bed in the maternity ward decides to try to build a friendship with Luned (despite Lunedā€™s efforts), and despite their differences thereā€™s a connection that canā€™t be ignored.

This story starts off quite high paced with a lot of laughs, I was very amused by Shonedā€™s million mile an hour way of speaking, her dialogue is brilliant (reminded me of Mel, the new character in RaR, Kelvinā€™s GF). Thereā€™s a lot here to keep you turning them pages, the pace doesnā€™t slow down much through the whole book. I love how we see the unusual, not always straightforward, way that friendships can grow.

In the couple of weeks since reading this Iā€™ve been thinking about it a lot. I love the way that itā€™s made me think about my family unit. How time with loved ones is precious. How supporting and showing love to your kids is the most important thing in the world. A lot of long lasting insecurities start during childhood in the home. Maybe I got it wrong but thatā€™s my take.

I genuinely enjoyed reading this (I know I was asked to but thatā€™s not the point! :wink:) and couldnā€™t wait to get to the next chapter. It will truly deserve its place on my Welsh book shelf amongst my other favourite authors.

Itā€™s been written for an adult audience so expect the language to be more advanced. I believe Catrin is going to create a vocab list to help with reading this as a learner ā€¦ so less need to keep looking in a dictionary.

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Diolch o waleod calon Geraint!

I really appreciate your detailed review and very generous words. Iā€™m super excited to see it published, whilst also remaining super nervous about how it will be received. Geraint is right, a vocab list will be available to anyone brave enough to give it a go, to help with the reading experience.

Thank you all for your support. :slight_smile:

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Diddorol iawn. I also read & enjoyed Gwrach y Gwyllt very much indeed. I have just started Merch y Gwyllt and already loving it. ā€˜Amdaniā€™ by Bethan Gwanas was the first book i read in Welsh as a very new SSiW er a few years. I love reading Welsh books and Bethan Gwanas is definately my favourite Welsh author. Canā€™t wait to get to work this afternoon to read my next chapter at dinner break!

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Ffasiwn Steddfod - Catrin Lliar Jones

I read this short story almost 2 years ago and, seeing as weā€™ve just chosen this as our little book club piece in preperation for the imminent release of Adar oā€™r Unlliw, thought Iā€™d better read it again.

Itā€™s one of the short stories included in O, Mam Bach which is very worth a read (see here The SSiW Welsh Book Club šŸ“– šŸ“š šŸ‘“ - #7 by gruntius - Lolfa SSiW Lounge - SSi Forum) and includes stories from an amazing list of female Welsh writers.

This is a really funny account of a young motherā€™s attempts at a pampered day out at the Denbigh Eisteddfod with a one month old baby along for the ride. Maybe that posh dress wasnā€™t the best choice Luned could make with a hungry baby eager for a feed.

Iā€™ve read a lot of books since reading this for the first time so I found it so much easier this time and have to admit that I didnā€™t appreciate it to the same extent back then. Iā€™m so glad I read it again. At just over 10 pages long it took about 45 minutes to read (I read quite slow in english so even slower in my second language, obviously) so quite comfortable for anyone to complete in a single sitting.

O, Mam Bach should be on everyoneā€™s bookshelf, it really is a great read.

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Iā€™ve finished with these books so they are up for grabs - either swop or sell. :slight_smile: Sgwp! is my favourite out of the Lois Arnold books that Iā€™ve read so far :slight_smile: image

Just started SGWP. How much for the other two titles?

Hi Ken! Hope youā€™re enjoying Sgwp as much as I did! :slight_smile: Iā€™m open to offers, but how about a fiver plus postage? Postage will be about Ā£1.50 as a normal large letter I think :slight_smile:

Hi @Cetra
Dŵr Dwfn was mentioned by @gruntius back in Sept 2018. He was not 100% keen, so I would be very interested in your opinion of it.
Sue

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Hey me too! Howā€™s it going?

For being a really bad reader of Welsh, Iā€™m impressed of being able to enjoy it even without a dictionary at hand!:smiley:(it:s my holiday reading, just like two years ago my goal was finishing Ssiw Level 1)

P.s. I havenā€™t really figured how difficult is the new book by @CatrinLliarJones, for us learners. Any more hints, @gruntius?

Iā€™ll say that itā€™ll be a worthwhile challenge.

Basically itā€™s not aimed at learners, wasnā€™t written with learners in mind, it has an advanced vocabulary.

Catrin is, however, going to provide a vocab list to help with reading. I donā€™t think you should be put off giving it a go. :grinning::+1:

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Hi @Cetra - that works for me. So Ā£6.50 for the package?
How shall I send the money?
Ken

Iā€™m finding it straightforward to read. Nice to have a mystery to solve. Sometimes I hit a wall of words I donā€™t understand.But generally I plough on. If I come upon a word three times that I donā€™t know iā€™ll look it up. Otherwise I keep on reading. (I am a prolific reader)

I didnā€™t know about @CatrinLliarJones book. Iā€™ll buy it for sure even if it is out of my reach at the moment.

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Thatā€™s great Ken - Iā€™ll send you a private message :slight_smile:

That is so very kind of you Ken and Gisella, I really appreciate your support. :slight_smile:

Though itā€™s a lighthearted book for the most part, as Geraint said, it isnā€™t a book aimed at learners. It does have a lot of informal language, a lot of dialogue, but smatterings of more formal language and some challenging vocab here and there. But thanks to fabulous efforts from one or two long standing SSiW learners (Geraint included), I am putting together a comprehensive vocab list for those wanting to give it a go. I will also, of course, be available here to answer any questions anyone may have about the book.

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Alright, Iā€™ll be happy to try especially knowing thereā€™s going to be a comprehensive vocabulary list!
Only thing tomfigure out now is how to get it in Italy (preferably with reasonable shipping costs, since I happened to ask yesterday for a record and it was almost the same as the price of the actual record!:astonished:)