Last weekâs coach holiday included two hours in Caernarfon so I made the most of my time. I bought 5 books in Palas Print where the lovely lady let me speak Welsh, helped me choose suitable books and taught me the word for âcontactlessâ. I then visited charity shops and bought 6 additional books. Reviews may eventually appear here.
Sue
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âAr Agor Fel Arferâ was adapted by Huw Llwyd Rowlands from the original âFrying As Usualâ by Joan Lingard.
âDowch ymaâr funud 'maâ bloeddiodd Rosita. âMae Dad wedi syrthio oâr to.â
The Francetti fish and chip shop is already struggling against new competition. Dad is rushed to hospital with a broken leg and Mum is in Italy for a month. Can the three children and their grandfather keep the shop open?
This is a straightforward and entertaining story for young teens. The three children have very different characters and contribute in their own ways. Even without using a dictionary, I found it a fairly easy read. There were words that I didnât know, but I could guess them from the context. There seem to be copies available second-hand. Mine was a bargain for ÂŁ1 in a charity shop.
Sue
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I have read the book with Vincent via skype. The book was very funny but I think even though it is aimed at first language young teenagers I would think because some of the language is very colloquial in the dialogs and some of the words are more phonetically spelt and not how it is spelt in the Dictionary that an advanced beginner would struggle and I would put it probably at canoradd (intermediate ) but I struggled a bit with the book and I enjoyed it.
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sorry I thought I had logged in as Richardglaves and not as Vincent
A couple of years ago I recorded the whole of âHarri Potter aâr maen yr athronyddâ. - one sound file per page. If you re interested I could send you a couple of them. You would need the book though.
Just occurred to me that I have found it very useful to read stuff out loud - it means you don t have to worry about vocab/correctness etc. And it starts building muscle memory in your jaw AND it helps words stick.
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Yes indeed. Though perhaps not on the bus.
Sue
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Doesn t matter if you are a believer or not (I m not) but many of us can remember fragments of bible stories which makes it easier to understand this - http://www.beibl.net/. The most modern complete version available on-line with downloadable audio files for each chapter - the guy reads really well
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Not sure if it has been mentioned here already (if so, apologies.)
Iâm currently reading parallel.cymruâs 2018 annual using the Kindle App on my phone. The Welsh articles are in the first half of the book, with the English translations in the second, and the articles are written for a wide range of reading abilities.
And the best part⌠ITâS FREE! 
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Iâve been to Wales a couple of times since I started learning, and as trawling charity shops is a favourite activity Iâve started making a beeline for the childrenâs book corner! I think my favourite find so far is Pwd Pwdin. The illustrations make it easy enough to work out whatâs going on, and I was most amused by Pwsâs attempt at five-a-side football.
(only just noticed I seem to have found an image in English! I promise I have it in Welsh!
Looking for an image to upload, Iâve been delighted to find that there are a couple more Pws Pwdin books, which I will make the effort to buy!
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very punny!! 
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Spoiler alert!! 
I have just received E-ffrindiau by Lois Arnold in the post, so lets see what thatâs all about then.
Apparently good for beginner level.
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Itâs nearly a year since @gruntius recommended these books. They were too daunting for me at the time but now, after about 2 years of learning, I have finished reading both and enjoyed them very much. Sometimes I used a dictionary. Sometimes I was too impatient and pressed on without, but I got the general idea even if I missed some of the detail.
I am part way through and I agree that this is a very good read. I am looking up quite a lot of words, but finding that they are words that I have met and forgotten rather than completely new words.
At the moment I have 5 books on the âstarted but not yet finishedâ pile. There are 17 on the âplan to read some dayâ pile.
Sue
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Tacsi iâr Tywyllwch and Tacsi i Hunllef, both by Gareth F. Williams, are thrillers in the Stori Sydyn series. I found the language fairly straightforward. The chapters are short, which helped me to keep track of where I was. There is plenty of action. The books are a bit violent for my taste, but I finished the first one quite quickly and I am part way through the second.
Ffion and Ruth run a taxi service for women. A rival company is trying to put them out of business by making false calls to take them to remote places. One such false call takes Ffion to a derelict industrial estate where she has an alarming encounter.
Gareth F. Williams is also the author of Dyfi Jynction - Y Dyn Blin and Dyfi Jynction - Y Ddynes Yn Yr Haul. I have both of these in the pile marked âToo difficult at the moment.â Has anyone read them? If so, what do you think?
Sue
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I really enjoyed these âtacsi âŚâ books too but the first one isnât available to buy now so I had to borrow it from the library.
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Pânawn da!
My apologies if this has been asked before, but Iâm interested in finding some recommendations for good, readable books on Welsh history (in English, since I donât think my Welsh is going to be at that level for a while ). Anyway, Iâm particularly interested in the Medieval kingdoms, especially in the north (Gwynedd, Powys). Good historical fiction would be welcome, too.
Diolch yn fawr!
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The Mabinogion? Not sure if this counts as good historical fiction, I think it is more Myths and Legends, but it is a good read.
Thanks for the suggestion. I recently read the edition edited by Sioned Davies, and it was excellent.
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Hello everyone,
I have a load of books Iâve read and Iâm not going to read again. Theyâre all suitable for learners, some specifically for learners, others for teenagers etc. I would really like the idea that they go to a good home and someone else gets some usage out of them. Iâll share the titles here. Iâve got photos of the covers but I donât want to completely fill this bit with photos, so if youâd like to see them, Iâd be happy to share.
The books are as follows:
Coed Y Brenin gan Colin Jones - entry level with vocabulary list
Y GĹľr o Phoenix gan Bob Eynon - speghetti western in Welsh. Also has vocab
Perygl yn Sbaen gan Bob Eynon - bit of murder she wrote kind of story. Vocab
Y Bradwr gan Bob Eynon - Second World War behind enemy lines/resistance thriller. Vocab
Bedd Y Dyn Gwyn gan Bob Eynon - 19th century Indiana Jones esque story. Vocab
Blodwen Jones series gan Bethan Gwanas - this is a bit of a Bridget Jones story about a learner in North Wales and her life written as a diary. Itâs very funny and has a good vocab list in each one. I have the first, second and third in the series.
Pwy syân cofio SiĂ´n? Gan Mair Evans - it says in the back this is suitable for a learner who has been learning for a year or two (I have no idea what that really means because itâll be based on the Cymraeg i Oedolion cwrs). Story about an ambitious radio journalist at a local radio station looking for her big break story.
Un Noson Dywyll gan T Llew Jones - historical drama about a baby that gets left with a Porthmon (gate keeper) - these tollbooths are quite a significant feature of West Walesâ history (including the Beca Riots). Very good book written in West Walian dialect. T Llew Jones is quite an iconic author around Ceredigion, Sir Gâr and Sir Benfro. Written for first language children, Upper end primary school Iâd guess?
T Llew Jones - Y Ffordd Peryglus and Ymysg Lladron - two stories that follow the life of Twm SiĂ´n Cati but not the Twm SiĂ´n Cati of the 16th Century (bit of a Robin Hood character) this is a different Twm SiĂ´n Cati of the 18th century. Based in and around Tregaron (so interesting if youâre going to the Eisteddfod next year). Thereâs a third in the series called Dial oâr Diwedd, which I donât have. Itâs an adventure story of a poor stable hand called Twm escaping his cruel Lord of the Manor (sort of). Theyâre good fun. Not easy Welsh but will help your vocab!
Last one!
Al gan Manon Steffan Ros - a great book from one of my favourite authors. This is a story, written in a North Walian dialect, about the teenage years and the difficulties. Itâs a short story but really well written.
If youâre interested in any of them please let me know. All Iâll ask for is postage and packaging is covered
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