Sioned has just released a book for adults âMadwsâ, which is a fantasy novel. Itâs a cracking read (if you like that sort of thing), and she has a lovely âvoiceâ.
Also, I recently read âO Ranâ by Mererid Hopwood, which I had picked up in a second-hand bookshop. It won the Medal Rhyddiaith in the Eisteddfod a few years back, so itâs not too long, and she writes simply but beautifully (as youâd expect!)
Thanks for the suggestions!
I have learnt, from experience, that novels for adults that have won prices are too hard, but novels for young adults that have won prizes are fine. 
Basically, Iâm not yet at the stage where I can comfortably read a book that would make for a great reading experience for an adult L1 Welsh-speaker. Less varied language and less of the less-used vocabulary works better for me at the moment.
Hello to all booklovers of the welsh world - this is a book offer 
Iâve got a spare copy of J.R.R. Tolkienâs âYr Hobydâ, because the publishing house accidentally printed and sent two copies instead of only one.
I got in touch with Melin Bapur and they asked me to keep the second copy as a present.
Which is truly generous - thank you, Melin Bapur ! - but since Iâm not in need of two copies of the same book, Iâd like to give it away to someone who will give it a good home and cherish it by reading it many a time.
The book itself is for free, so itâll only be the shipping costs from Germany to be paid for.
If anyone of you is interested or if you know someone whoâd like the book, send me a direct message, please.
I donât need it because I have my own copy, but I can highly recommend it - itâs a genuinely good translation that pretty much reads as though The Hobbit had been written in Welsh.
I finally finished âCysgod y Crymanâ, after a concentrated effort over Easter to get through the last 100 pages.
Iâve now starter âGlas a Gwyrddâ by Eiry Miles, which is a much easier read (still needing the dictionary now and then, though!) about a female police officer from South Wales whoâs working in London. So far itâs a bit Bridget Jonesâ diary meets Line of Duty. 
Iâm assuming thatâs got to be the same Eiry Miles whoâs my tutor for Dysgu Cymraeg. Please let me know how you find the book!
It seems a shame to let this thread fade away. I have found it very useful in the past for recommendations.
I have finished two books recently, and have one ongoing.
Two are in the âStori Sydynâ series. These are fairly short stories where the language is not too difficult. They are not aimed specifically at learners, but at anyone who might find a longer book challenging, so you will not find a vocabulary in the back. I have quite a few from this series and find them very approachable. I bought them at ÂŁ1 each, but I fear that the price is now a lot higher.
First is âTywyllwch y Fflamauâ by Alun Davies. This is a detective story. A painting was stolen some years ago and the owner was murdered. Detective Bedwyr Campbell failed to solve the crime at the time. Then a man approaches a gallery offering to sell them the painting. Maybe Bedwyr has a second chance to solve the crime. I read a lot of detective stories, and I enjoyed this one.
The second book is âUn Nosonâ by Llio Elain Maddocks. This is a romance, and not the sort of book I usually read, however this one was quite fun. Jacob is a handsome single man who runs a garage in the south of France, though he was brought up in Wales, where his mother still lives. He returns to Wales, reluctantly, to attend the wedding of an old friend. Cadi has just been dumped by Tom, and she is desperate to get him back. She would like to make him jealous. They will both be at the wedding, so she would like to go with a man who would pretend to be her new boy friend - just for one night. No surprises, but a lot of practice with informal language.
The ongoing book is âY Hobydâ as recommended by @RichardBuck above. This is a whole other level of difficulty, and a bit of a challenge for me, but excellent. I canât bear to break the flow by looking up words in a dictionary. This means that, while I understand the outline of what is going on, I sometimes miss the detail. Then I have to read the passage in âThe Hobbitâ to check what I have missed. As @RichardBuck said, the translation is first class.
Sue
I read Stryd y Bont, now Iâm on Un Noson.
My learning just stopped! Iâm getting back on track now, so any suggestions I will make a note of. Thank you.
Hi @victoria-36
Do you like the language in Un Noson? âDympioâ, âgorjysâ and âsgiws miâ were not taught in the Dysgu Cymraeg classes that I did. 
I got fed up with the classes and stopped. We had a lot of grammar exercises, and the more I thought about them, the more I got them wrong. I am now revising using the SSiW app and reading some of my shelf of unread books.
I have read Stryd y Bont, and I think that it is very clever to fit a whole thriller into such a small and simple book.
Sue
Dympio I like very much. I have now started right back at the beginning of the course, something went a bit wrong somewhere in my progress. Itâs rather nice having everything refreshed.
I will get back to â Un Nosâ when I can find it.
Next is âCwmwl dros y Cwmâ by Gareth F Williams. This is a novel about the Senghennydd disaster of 1913 when 439 miners were killed. It was written for young people, maybe early teens, and the language is not too difficult.
In 1963 there is a TV programme about the disaster to mark the 50th anniversary. John does not need the programme to remind him. He remembers every day of his life. He was 13 years old when he left school and went with his father to work in the mine. Told from the point of view of a young boy who narrowly managed to survive, this is a powerful and moving story.
Iâm having a big book clear out! Grab yourself a bargain! Any of these for ÂŁ2 each (plus postage)! 
Just looking for any new recommendations in here, especially if they will be in libraries, Iâve seen the following on the latest volumes mentioned:
âTywyllwch y Fflamauâ by Alun Davies can still be found as the original Stori Sydyn for ÂŁ1 (eg on Amazon & independent Welsh bookshops, such as Cant a mil) but has also recently been released as a Cyfres Amdani book (level Uwch) which means it will soon be available in Welsh libraries / on Borrowbox (handy even if you arenât in Wales, as you can easily borrow the e-book from Welsh libraries for free if itâs awkward to order physical books).
âUn Nosonâ by Llio Elain Maddocks & âCwmwl dros y Cwmâ by Gareth F Williams are already in Borrowbox.
Other new Amdani additions this year are:
So they should be widely available soon, with audio to follow.
I find that the Welsh offering on Borrowbox in Leicestershire comprises 2 books - perhaps each library region/area is different? 
That two better than in Hampshire!
Iâm understand that some libraries in Wales allow you to join as a non-resident. Finding out which is in my list of things to do on a rainy day. It seems that let might get shorter again today!
Thank you for recommending Borrowbox. I have never tried it, and I am not too keen on reading books on a screen, but I might give it a try. @Li22ie notes that there are only two books available in Leicestershire, and @SteakAndEggs found none in Hampshire. I donât know about Oxfordshire. I shall have to find out.
I have recently read âDau Wynebâ by Manon Steffan Ros. I bought it for the good reason that anything by Manon Steffan Ros would be enjoyable. I was slightly worried to find that it was a play - and I donât usually read plays - but it was great. Beware of making relationships online.
The Amdani series is excellent, and the grading of books into levels is helpful, however, on more than one occasion they seem to have republished an existing book at a higher price.
Meanwhile, I have a shelf full of books that I have set aside for the moment because they are too difficult. Must try harder.
Wrecsam allows non-residents to register.It also used to allow access to magazines via the Libby app but it doesnât seem to do that anymore
Hi @Betterlatethan @Li22ie & @Steakandeggs - Even if you live outside Wales, anyone can register for free to borrow books online from a Welsh library, which will give you a great selection of e-books, audio books, newspapers & magazines. (I checked this with a couple of librarians before passing round details to my classmates dotted around the UK, Europe, the States etc when I first started learning during Lockdown & it hasnât changed).
They seem to have rejigged their pages since I last looked: go here & search for a Welsh county (eg Rhondda, Newport, Swansea etc should all work - itâs best to spread around the counties, else weâll all be waiting for each other to return books should we join the same region), pick a library (usually the full instructions are on their Central Library) & follow the instructions for joining online:
https://libraries.wales/find-a-library/
Youâll be given a membership number & PIN which will allow you to access various free online services. Search for Borrowbox & you can either use the website or app. You have a choice of reading / listening online or downloading to your device (computer, tablet or phone). The advanced search lets you filter on language, most recent books to the library, age group, topic etc. You can also order items & will be emailed once they are available.
I normally read on my Kindle Fire, which is a nice size & very comfortable to use, especially in bed. But itâs still perfectly fine on my phone.
They have almost all the Amdani series (apart from the most recent releases, but I bet theyâll be there for the Autumn term) & audio for many of them too, so you can listen whilst reading if thatâs useful to you; an excellent selection of childrenâs books - from easy readers to teens, encyclopaedias & other illustrated factual volumes, which are good for building themed vocabulary; obviously plenty of adult volumes, from classics to the latest releases, lots on the history & culture of Wales, poetry & autobiographies / biographies of prominent Welsh people; magazines such as Lingo Newydd & Y Wawr & papers such as Y Cymro.
I think the e-catalogue is the same across all Welsh libraries. A current search of mine gives 1865 e-books, 170 audio books & 6 mags in Welsh. So you should find something to suit you. Pob lwc!
Thank you, @splashwellykid .
Brilliant information.
@Betterlatethan Thanks for all your interesting suggestions - Iâve been adding them to my reading lists (another handy thing you can do in Borrowbox).
Re the Amdani prices: yes, Iâve spotted that with a few titles. Sometimes theyâve added the vocabulary in, which I suppose makes it reasonable to add a little to the price for the overhead of creating a new edition. But it is frustrating when many of them are quite short reads (like the Stori Sydyns) to find them priced at ÂŁ9 instead of ÂŁ1 or ÂŁ2.
Iâve been doing my best not to buy too many books, for cost & space reasons, but keep seeing second-hand bargains on eBay, charity shops if I get along to Pontypridd or online from Cant a Mil (who have loads of interesting second-hand volumes & special offers if you join their mailing list, such as free postage weeks or, for this week of their twelfth birthday, 12% off with code DEUDDEG on Fri 12/6/26). So I have a big pile to work through too! Iâm hoping to get faster at reading Welsh at some point which will help 
