I need to make room on my bookshelf for more Bethan Gwanas books 
so these are up for grabs! 
Either swop or sell 
Merch Y Gwyllt - Bethan Gwanas
Iām 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 didnāt have to. 
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 Megās life as she grows up from birth through to adulthood with her āmumā and two āauntiesā ā¦ I really donāt want to give details for fear of spoiling the first book for those that havenāt read it yet (where have you been?). This is obviously a story about witches with lots of spell casting, etc. but donāt 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¦ āGyda llaw, maeān well darllen Gwrach y Gwyllt cyn Merch y Gwyllt, ond nid ywān anghenreidiol.ā (By the way, itās better to read GyG before MyG, but itās not necessary.)
This is not suitable for children or prudish people ā¦ thereās even a warning on the back cover, āOherwydd ei ieithwedd aāi themau, nid ywār llyfr hwn yn addas i blant.ā With that in mind itās not written with learners in mind ā¦ enjoy with a dictionary if needed ā¦ but enjoy all the same.
2 Likes
Hey, Iād be really interested in the top three - I was aiming to buy them anyway! Let me know somehow if this is possible (Iām new to the forum).
<3
Hi Davey! Cysgod and eFfrindiau are available for you 
I had an enquiry about Ffenestri so Iāll just chase that up before confirming. Iāll send you a PM
All the books I posted above are now on their way to new homes, so happy reading everyone! Iām sure Iāll have some others up for grabs soon though!
1 Like
Adar oār Unlliw - Catrin Lliar Jones
Iām feeling very privileged to have been given the chance to read this book before it arrives in the shops. Iām not going to lie in order to stay in Catrinās good books, Iām 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 š š š - #7 by gruntius - Lolfa SSiW Lounge - SSi Forum ) that came out a couple of years ago you may remember Catrinās 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 sheāll 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 Lunedās efforts), and despite their differences thereās a connection that canāt be ignored.
This story starts off quite high paced with a lot of laughs, I was very amused by Shonedās million mile an hour way of speaking, her dialogue is brilliant (reminded me of Mel, the new character in RaR, Kelvinās GF). Thereās a lot here to keep you turning them pages, the pace doesnāt 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 Iāve been thinking about it a lot. I love the way that itās 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 thatās my take.
I genuinely enjoyed reading this (I know I was asked to but thatās not the point! 
) and couldnāt wait to get to the next chapter. It will truly deserve its place on my Welsh book shelf amongst my other favourite authors.
Itās 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.
6 Likes
Diolch o waleod calon Geraint!
I really appreciate your detailed review and very generous words. Iām 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.
3 Likes
Diddorol iawn. I also read & enjoyed Gwrach y Gwyllt very much indeed. I have just started Merch y Gwyllt and already loving it. āAmdaniā 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. Canāt wait to get to work this afternoon to read my next chapter at dinner break!
2 Likes
Ffasiwn Steddfod - Catrin Lliar Jones
I read this short story almost 2 years ago and, seeing as weāve just chosen this as our little book club piece in preperation for the imminent release of Adar oār Unlliw, thought Iād better read it again.
Itās one of the short stories included in O, Mam Bach which is very worth a read (see here The SSiW Welsh Book Club š š š - #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 motherās attempts at a pampered day out at the Denbigh Eisteddfod with a one month old baby along for the ride. Maybe that posh dress wasnāt the best choice Luned could make with a hungry baby eager for a feed.
Iāve 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 didnāt appreciate it to the same extent back then. Iām 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 everyoneās bookshelf, it really is a great read.
4 Likes
Iāve finished with these books so they are up for grabs - either swop or sell. Sgwp! is my favourite out of the Lois Arnold books that Iāve read so far 
Just started SGWP. How much for the other two titles?
Hi Ken! Hope youāre enjoying Sgwp as much as I did! Iām open to offers, but how about a fiver plus postage? Postage will be about Ā£1.50 as a normal large letter I think
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
1 Like
Hey me too! Howās it going?
For being a really bad reader of Welsh, Iām impressed of being able to enjoy it even without a dictionary at hand!
(it:s my holiday reading, just like two years ago my goal was finishing Ssiw Level 1)
P.s. I havenāt really figured how difficult is the new book by @CatrinLliarJones, for us learners. Any more hints, @gruntius?
Iāll say that itāll be a worthwhile challenge.
Basically itās not aimed at learners, wasnāt written with learners in mind, it has an advanced vocabulary.
Catrin is, however, going to provide a vocab list to help with reading. I donāt think you should be put off giving it a go. 
2 Likes
Iām finding it straightforward to read. Nice to have a mystery to solve. Sometimes I hit a wall of words I donāt understand.But generally I plough on. If I come upon a word three times that I donāt know iāll look it up. Otherwise I keep on reading. (I am a prolific reader)
I didnāt know about @CatrinLliarJones book. Iāll buy it for sure even if it is out of my reach at the moment.
1 Like
Thatās great Ken - Iāll send you a private message
That is so very kind of you Ken and Gisella, I really appreciate your support.
Though itās a lighthearted book for the most part, as Geraint said, it isnāt 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.
4 Likes
Alright, Iāll be happy to try especially knowing thereās 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!
)