Angharad Reviews.... The Honeybee by Kirsten Hall and Isabelle Arsenault

 

The charm and importance of honeybees is celebrated in this vibrant and lyrical picture book. Beginning in a meadow on a balmy summer’s day, we follow a forager bee as it zooms from flower to flower, collecting nectar. The more flowers the bee visits the heavier its legs weigh with pollen, maybe it’s time to buzz back to the hive? The forager shows his hive-mates the way to the meadow with a special bee dance, while the worker bees make and store honey in extensive combs. As the days become shorter and the winds become cooler, the queen and her hive slow their work and rest, dormant. In spring the colony will stir again, awakening ready for another hardworking summer. 

With award-winning illustrator Isabelle Arsenault’s warm and enchanting artwork and acclaimed author Kirsten Hall’s lively and informative text, this is a sweet-as-honey picture book that can be enjoyed by everyone. A wonderful introduction for young readers to the ‘beehaviour’ (sorry, couldn’t resist) of bee colonies, their role in pollination and how the seasons affect nature.  

Angharad reviews...‘Waste Tide’ by Chen Qiufan

 

Here's library staff member Angharad with a review of ‘Waste Tide’ by Chen Qiufan.

Dyma Angharad gyda'i barn am ‘Waste Tide’ by Chen Qiufan.

 

Waste Tide is a tech-heavy eco-thriller with thoughtful prose and plenty of classic cyberpunk elements woven into original scenarios. Set on fictional Silicon Isle, the global capital for electronic waste recycling located off China’s south-eastern coast, Waste Tide paints a realistically bleak vision of our world drowning in the waste and pollution of our own making, and the unfortunate sectors of society whose lives are limited and consumed by it.

Told from four perspectives, we experience what life is like for the various castes inhabiting Silicon Isle; the divisions, inequity and personal struggles that dictate their existence. We follow waste girl Mimi through the e-trash to a surprising discovery; American Scott Brandle of Terragreen Recycling and his Chinese-American interpreter Chen Kaizong as they attempt to reach a deal for the company; and Luo Jincheng, head of one of Silicon Isle’s clans, as he ruthlessly clings to power. As workers, corporations and clans collide, a dark, futuristic virus is unleashed on the island. War erupts between rich and poor; tradition and ambition, and humanity’s future ultimately hangs in the balance.

Lots of issues are explored in Waste Tide, from environmental destruction and the evils of elitism to toxic traditions and social injustices, but these heavier messages are served with equal helpings of entertaining and imaginative descriptions of future tech and cultural quirks. Both the plot and setting of Waste Tide sail close enough to reality for us to imagine it’s the story of our dystopian future, but although the premise is depressingly plausible, the narrative isn’t completely devoid of joy. Despite the tragic nature of the tale, it has the right balance of calamity and miracle, despair and hope. There’s some escapism to be had, brighter horizons to be found and even some humorous moments. I loved that prominent figures from history played interesting and unexpected roles, and found the few classic sci-fi pop-culture references endearing. Fans of the likes of Ghost in the Shell and other East-Asian sci-fi offerings will find plenty to interest them here.

David Mitchell's quote on the cover says it best- '...an accomplished eco-techno-thriller with heart and soul as well as brain.'

The Costa Book Awards 2020

 

This annual prize has five categories – First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children’s Book – with one of the five winning books selected as the overall Costa Book of the year (to be announced on the 26th January).

Here are the five category winners, which one will win this year’s grand prize?

Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud

Brave and brilliant, steeped in affection, Love After Love asks us to consider what happens at the very brink of human forgiveness, and offers hope to anyone who has loved and lost and has yet to find their way back.

The Mermaid of Black Conch: A Love Story by Monique Roffey

April 1976: St Constance, a tiny Caribbean village on the island of Black Conch, at the start of the rainy season. A fisherman sings to himself in his pirogue, waiting for a catch – but attracts a sea-dweller he doesn’t expect.

The Louder I Will Sing by Lee Lawrence 

The Louder I Will Sing is a powerful, compelling and uplifting memoir about growing up in modern Britain as a young Black man. It's a story both of people and politics, of the underlying racism beneath many of our most important institutions, but also the positive power that hope, faith and love can bring in response.

The Historians by Eavan Boland

A forceful and moving final volume from one of the most masterful poets of the twentieth century. These extraordinary, intimate narratives cling to the future through memory, anger, and love in ways that rebuke the official record we call history.

Voyage of the Sparrowhawk by Natasha Farrant

In the aftermath of World War One, everyone is trying to rebuild their lives. Buffeted by storms, chased by the police, Lotti, Ben, Clara and a growing number of dogs set out on an epic journey, on the search for lost loved ones and a place to call home.

 

Mae gan y wobr flynyddol hon bum categori – Nofel Gyntaf, Nofel, Bywgraffiad, Barddoniaeth a Llyfr Plant – gydag un o’r llyfrau buddugol yn cael ei ddewis fel Llyfr y Flwyddyn Costa (i’w gyhoeddi ar 26ain Ionawr).

Dyma’r pump buddugol yn y categorïau. Pa un a fydd yn ennill y wobr fawr eleni?

Love After Love gan Ingrid Persaud

Dewr a rhagorol, yn llawn hoffter. Mae Love After Love yn gofyn i ni ystyried beth sy’n digwydd ar ymyl dibyn maddeuant dynol, ac yn cynnig gobaith i unrhyw un sydd wedi caru a cholli ac sydd eto i ganfod eu ffordd yn ôl.

The Mermaid of Black Conch: A Love Story gan Monique Roffey

Ebrill 1976: St Constance, pentref bechan ar ynys Black Conch yn y Caribî, ar ddechrau tymor y glaw. Mae pysgotwr yn canu iddo’i hyn yn ei pirogue, wrth aros i ddal rhywbeth – ond mae’n denu preswylydd y môr nad yw’n ei ddisgwyl.

The Louder I Will Sing gan Lee Lawrence 

Mae The Louder I Will Sing yn gofiant grymus sy’n codi calon am dyfu i fyny yn y Brydain fodern fel gŵr ifanc Du. Mae’n stori am bobl a gwleidyddiaeth, o’r hiliaeth sylfaenol islaw llawer o’n sefydliadau pwysicaf, ond mae hefyd yn adrodd am y pŵer cadarnhaol y gall gobaith, ffydd a chariad eu cynnig mewn ymateb.

The Historians gan Eavan Boland

Cyfrol olaf rymus gan un o feirdd gorau’r ugeinfed ganrif. Mae’r adroddiadau hynod, agos atoch yma yn gafael yn y dyfodol drwy atgofion, dicter a chariad mewn ffyrdd sy’n gwrthod y cofnod swyddogol rydym yn ei alw’n hanes.

Voyage of the Sparrowhawk gan Natasha Farrant

Ar ôl y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf, mae pawb yn ceisio ailadeiladu eu bywydau. Gyda thymhestloedd yn eu taro, a’r heddlu ar eu hôl, mae Lotti, Ben, Clara a nifer cynyddol o gŵn yn cychwyn ar daith fawr, i chwilio am anwyliaid a gollwyd a rhywle i’w alw’n gartref.

 

Merry Christmas / Nadolig Llawen!

The 2020 Booker Prize

 

Thursday 19 November will see this year’s winner of the 2020 Booker prize announced from a shortlist of six titles, all of which are very much worth a read.  Let’s find out more about them:

The New Wilderness by Dianne Cook - A daring and imaginative debut novel that explores a moving mother-daughter relationship in a world ravaged by climate change and overpopulation, a suspenseful second book from the author of the acclaimed story collection, Man V. Nature.

This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga - In This Mournable Body, Dangarembga returns to the protagonist of her acclaimed first novel, Nervous Conditions, to examine how the hope and potential of a young girl and a fledgling nation can sour over time and become a bitter and floundering struggle for survival.

Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi - This is both a love story and a story about betrayal between mother and daughter. Sharp as a blade and laced with caustic wit, Doshi tests the limits of what we can know for certain about those we are closest to, and by extension, about ourselves.

The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste - Set during Mussolini's 1935 invasion of Ethiopia, The Shadow King takes us back to the first real conflict of World War II, casting light on the women soldiers who were left out of the historical record. A heartrending exploration of what it means to be a woman at war.

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart - Shuggie Bain is the unforgettable story of young Hugh "Shuggie" Bain, a sweet and lonely boy who spends his 1980s childhood in run-down public housing in Glasgow, Scotland. Thatcher's policies have put husbands and sons out of work, and the city's notorious drugs epidemic is waiting in the wings.

Real Life by Brandon Taylor - A novel of startling intimacy, violence, and mercy among friends in a Midwestern university town. The author asks if it's ever really possible to overcome our private wounds and buried histories—and at what cost.

Ar ddydd Iau 19 Tachwedd bydd enillydd gwobr Booker eleni’n cael eu cyhoeddi o restr fer o chwech o deitlau, pob un yn werth ei ddarllen. Gadewch i ni ddysgu mwy amdanyn nhw:

The New Wilderness gan Dianne Cook – Nofel gyntaf feiddgar a chreadigol sy’n edrych ar berthynas deimladwy mam a merch mewn byd wedi ei anrheithio gan newid yn yr hinsawdd a gorboblogaeth, ail lyfr afaelgar gan awdur y casgliad o storiâu, Man V. Nature.

This Mournable Body gan Tsitsi Dangarembga - Yn This Mournable Body mae Dangarembga yn dychwelyd at arwr ei nofel gyntaf gymeradwy, Nervous Conditions, i edrych  ar sut mae gobaith a photensial merch ifanc a chenedl newydd yn gallu suro dros amser a throi’n ymdrech chwerw a di-drefn i oroesi.

Burnt Sugar gan Avni Doshi - Dyma stori serch a stori am frad rhwng mam a merch. Yn finiog fel cyllell ac yn llawn ffraethineb pigog, mae Doshi’n gwthio ffiniau’r hyn y gallwn wybod i sicrwydd am y rheiny sydd agosaf atom ni a, thrwy hynny, amdanon ni’n hunain.

The Shadow King gan Maaza Mengiste - Wedi ei osod yn ystod cyrch Mussolini yn Ethiopia yn 1935, mae The Shadow King yn mynd â ni yn ôl at wrthdaro cyntaf yr Ail Ryfel Byd, gan daflu goleuni ar y milwyr o blith menywod a adawyd allan o’r cofnod hanesyddol.  Ystyriaeth ddirdynnol o beth yw ystyr bod yn fenyw ar adeg rhyfel.

Shuggie Bain gan Douglas Stuart - Stori fythgofiadwy yw Shuggie Bain am yr Hugh "Shuggie" Bain ifanc, bachgen hawddgar ac unig sy’n treulio’i blentyndod yn ystod yr 1980au mewn cartref adfeiliedig yn Glasgow, yr Alban. Mae polisïau Thatcher wedi achosi colli gwaith i ŵyr a meibion ac mae problem gyffuriau’r ddinas wrth law.

Real Life gan Brandon Taylor – Nofel o gyfathrach ryfeddol, trais a thrugaredd ymhlith ffrindiau  mewn tref prifysgol yng nghanolbarth gorllewinol yr Unol Daleithiau. Mae’r awdur yn gofyn a yw’n wir bosibl goresgyn ein creithiau preifat a’n hanes a gladdwyd – ac am ba gost.

Reading Well for Children Wales launches in October!

The Welsh Government are supporting The Reading Agency to deliver Reading Well in all 22 library authorities in Wales.

Reading Well for children will be the third Reading Well scheme to be delivered in Wales following on from Reading Well for dementia in 2018 and Reading Well for mental health in 2019.

Reading Well Books on Prescription for children provides helpful reading to support children’s mental health and wellbeing. The books provide quality-assured information, stories and advice. Books have been chosen and recommended by leading health professionals and co-produced with children and families

They are endorsed by health professionals and can all be found in your local library.

Overview of Books

Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi The Reading Agency i ddarparu Darllen yn Well ym mhob un o’r 22 awdurdod llyfrgell yng Nghymru.

Darllen yn Well i blant fydd y trydydd cynllun Darllen yn Well i gael ei ddarparu yng Nghymru yn dilyn ymlaen o gynllun Darllen yn Well ar gyfer dementia yn 2018 a Darllen yn Well ar gyfer iechyd meddwl yn 2019.

Darllen yn Well Llyfrau ar Bresgripsiwn i blant yn darparu darllen defnyddiol i gefnogi iechyd meddwl a lles plant. Mae’r llyfrau’n darparu gwybodaeth, straeon a chyngor gyda sicrwydd ansawdd. Mae llyfrau wedi cael eu dewis a’u hargymell gan weithwyr iechyd proffesiynol blaenllaw a’u cynhyrchu ar y cyd gyda phlant a theuluoedd

Fe’u cymeradwyir gan weithwyr iechyd proffesiynol a gellir dod o hyd iddynt yn y llyfrgell leol.

Darllen yn Well i blant Trosolwg o’r teitlau

 

Online Book Group Wales - Join today!

 

Are you missing your usual reading group? Join Online Book Group Wales by visiting the 'Welsh Libraries' page on Facebook.

Each month, titles will be chosen by popular vote. Titles will become available as eBook or/and eAudio through our Borrowbox service, or you can join in with your own print copy. We will have a Welsh & English title available for discussion every month.

Here are this month's titles, chosen by the group.

 

We will prompt a 'half-way' discussion, followed by a final discussion at the end of each month. Join the Facebook group today!

https://libraries.wales/my-digital-library/borrowbox/

  

Y ydych yn gweld eisiau eich Grwp Darllen arferol? Ymunwch a Grwp Darllen Arlein Cymru drwy Facebook @Welsh Libraries.

Bob mis, byddwn yn dewis teitlau newydd drwy bleidlais. Bydd y teitlau ar gael fel eLyfr neu/ac eLyfr Llafar drwy ein gwasanaeth Borrowbox, neu gallwch ymuno efo’ch copi printiedig. Byddwn yn trafod un teitl Cymraeg ac un teitl Saesneg bob mis.

Dyma deitlau'r mis hwn, a ddewisywd gan y grwp. 

  

Byddwn yn annog trafodaeth ‘hanner ffordd’, a thrafodaeth olaf yn digwydd ar ddiwedd y mis. Ymunwch a'r grwp Facebook heddiw!

https://llyfrgelloedd.cymru/my-digital-library/borrowbox/

Mandy reviews... 'A Year in Provence' by Peter Mayle

Here's library staff member Mandy with a review of 'A Year in Provence' by Peter Mayle.

Dyma Mandy gyda'i barn am 'The Voices Series' gan Peter Mayle.

There is nothing quite as nice as revisiting an old favourite where books are concerned. It’s rather like catching up with an old friend. And this week my old friend has been Peter Mayle’s ‘A Year In Provence’. It’s a simple book, a monthly account of Peter Mayle’s first year in the Provence farmhouse that he bought with his wife. Mayle shares his experiences and reflections in a gentle and humorous way.  It’s a breath of fresh air as there is no hint or whisper of moaning or belittling.

From the start he’s able to bring to life the tastes, smells, weather and all nuances of life in the southern French Valley through his quiet observations. Like the seasons, he moves seamlessly throughout the year and we get to know characters, become familiar with the house, and discover the beauty of Provence from the comfort of our homes.

Let me start with my favourite: food. Mayle is a descriptive genius and almost always has me drooling as he introduces us to the local cuisine. From the extravagant ‘ ...they were moist and fat and fluffy with a tiny deep nugget of truffle in every mouthful, a last rich taste of winter” to the food of the local peasants ‘there were saucissons spotted with peppercorns. There were tiny sweet onions marinated in fresh tomato sauce. Plates were wiped once more and duck was brought it.’ He becomes almost poetic in places ‘as for the oil, it was a masterpiece, before dinner that night we tested it, dipping it into slices of bread that had been rubbed with the flesh of tomatoes. It was like eating sunshine.’ I want to eat sunshine!

I salivate at these descriptions - even being vegetarian - as he talks about rabbit stew or wild boar pate, it’s all part of the books charm.  But it’s not only how the food is eaten. You become au fait with the ways of truffle hunting, the correct breads to use with each meal, and of course grapes and wine making.

The characters are captured in tender tones, be it Monsieur Menicucci, the local plumber who likes to play the clarinet, and has a bonnet for every season; or Massot, the local hunter, with the cigarette-stained moustache who gives tips on cooking fox and shooting mice that run around the attic. They drop in and out like friends popping in for tea and biscuits, welcome distractions in a world gone mad.

Mayle also observes how the French view the English ‘lls sont bizarres, les Anglasi.’  Be it the French recalling visits to England and the standard of the food they ate there, or the British and their constant upset stomachs! Sometimes it’s nice to view yourself from a different angle, especially a humorous one.

Mayle’s own experiences of British people is also a treat; friends of friends of friends who regard the house like a bed and breakfast but don’t pay any board, drink all the wine and playing havoc with the plumbing! (The British and their upset stomachs.) But even with all this inconvenience Mayle refuses to let it dampen his spirits. How could he? Living in this beautiful landscape, where there the sun is shining and the local vineyards produce your wine for the year, you can dip into the cool swimming pools or walk deep into the forest of the Luberon to explore.  There are the local events such as goat racing around the village, and farmers markets selling vegetables picked from the fields before the crack of dawn. 

If you’ve not read this book, get your self a glass of wine, sit in the garden and discover the south of France from another time. If you have read it, I’d recommend revisiting, it’s worth coming back to this old friend.

Angharad reviews...'The Voices' Series by G.X.Todd

Here's library staff member Angharad with a review of 'The Voices Series' by G.X. Todd.

Dyma Angharad gyda'i barn am 'The Voices Series' gan G.X. Todd.

Fans of Stephen King’s The Stand will love the premise of this series. Set in modern times after an apocalyptic event divides humanity into those who hear mysterious inner voices and those who don’t, two people who are far more than they seem are brought together by a voice. It tells the enigmatic traveller Pilgrim to buy lemonade from lonely teen Lacey as though doing so would fulfil a prophecy. Pilgrim takes its guidance and so begins a long and harrowing journey.

The pair become an unlikely duo; though different, they share a unique bond. They are among the few lucky survivors of the wasteland that is the post-voice world. A place where people kill others and themselves as a result of their inner voices. The voices are dangerous, or so it seems. Where did they come from? What sparked their arrival? Who is the sinister Flitting Man and why is he searching for those who hear them?

G.X Todd creates a bleak and frequently savage world where trusting the voice in your head can lead you to salvation or slaughter. Between the voices and what’s left of humanity’s morals, you’ll ask yourself who the real enemy is time and again.

The atmosphere of this series is like a gust of wind swirling dust down a long backwater road. The setting is really brought to life through Todd’s descriptions. Every character feels authentic, every scene is paced perfectly, steadily. Each book begins as a slow burn, with some seemingly innocuous events only making sense much later in the story when things culminate. This approach works so well within the narrative and there’s some satisfying twists that make the build-up worthwhile. Everything happens for a reason, and incidentally this is also a theme within the story itself.

If you enjoy gritty survival-based stories with a focus on introspection and character development and a huge side of dangerous sci-fiction forces – think Birdbox, The Walking Dead, The Happening and The Last of Us- then there’s a very good chance this could be your new favourite book series. The final book’s expected publication is set for late 2020, so listen to your inner voice and start this series now!

(Books in quadrilogy- #1 Defender, #2 Hunted, #3 Survivors and a fourth to be announced.)

Angharad reviews... Wranglestone by Darren Charlton

Here's library staff member Angharad with a review of 'Wranglestone' by Darren Charlton.

Dyma Angharad gyda'i barn am 'Wranglestone' gan Darren Charlton.

In a post-apocalyptic America, a community survives in a national park, surrounded by water that keeps the Dead at bay. But when winter comes, there's nothing to stop them from crossing the ice.

This is a teen zombie thriller with a setting that is as much a character as the humans, dead or alive. Inspired by the beautiful but harsh terrain of national parks like Yellowstone, author Darren Charlton has spun a twisting tale of terror involving an unlikely protagonist. Peter is a homebody who lacks the skills his wilderness community needs to keep them all safe. When he naively allows a stranger to come ashore one of the islands in their Wranglestone sanctuary, he puts everyone at risk. The community decides he must help Cooper, a boy he’s always watched from afar, herd the dead from the lake before it freezes over. He will finally make himself useful. But as love blossoms, the pair discover a dark secret about the sanctuary’s past, and nothing is as it seems.

There’s plenty of scares, gore and suspense in this refreshing tale of a vulnerable boy in a dangerous world. A perfect for zombie horror fans, and there’s a sequel in the works!

Ghost Wall - Customer Review

During these unusual times we have been working hard to stay in touch with the members of our shared reading groups to find out what they've been reading.  Some have put down their thoughts as reviews that we'd like to share.  Here's Doreen with her opinion of 'Ghost Wall' by Sarah Moss.

Yn ystod y cyfnod anarferol yma rydym wedi bod yn gweithio’n galed i aros mewn cysylltiad ag aelodau o’n grwpiau darllen i ganfod beth maen nhw wedi bod yn ei ddarllen.  Mae rhai wedi rhannu’u barn ar ffurf adolygiadau ac fe hoffem rannu’r rhain.  Dyma Doreen gyda’i barn am  'Ghost Wall' gan Sarah Moss.

This book is set in Northumberland. It opens with a chilling first chapter, expertly evoked, and fuelling our expectation of what might follow. A Professor of Archaeology and his three students have set up an encampment to engage with the lives of Iron Age people. The Professor is particularly interested in the practice of ritual sacrifice at that time. They are joined by a family of three. The father, a keen historian, has forced his downtrodden wife and seventeen year old daughter to accompany him for their summer holiday. The Professor and students sleep in modern tents but the father, insisting that they should be more authentic, compels his wife and daughter to sleep with him in the Roundhouse, which had been built by the students as part of a course on 'experiential archaeology'. They are dressed like Iron Age people and attempt to eat and behave in the same way. Not only do we see Iron Age practices being pursued but we also observe the psychological and physically abusive relationship of the father towards his wife and daughter.

I found this book an interesting but disturbing read, building on the suspense right up to its conclusion.

Staff review - The Animals at Lockwood Manor by Jane Healey

Here's library staff member Angharad with a review of 'The Animals at Lockwood Manor' by Jane Healey.

Dyma Angharad gyda'i barn am 'The Animals at Lockwood Manor' gan Jane Healey.

When Hetty Cartwright is charged with the safekeeping of The Natural History Museum’s mammal collection during its evacuation to its temporary home at Lockwood Manor, she believes the biggest threat to the precious taxidermy animals is the destruction of war. But as pieces begin to mysteriously vanish, only to reappear all over the manor, she begins to wonder if the rumours of ghosts and curses surrounding Lockwood are true.

The premise of this book is very much in the same vein as The Silent Companions and The Miniaturist, so if you enjoyed the mystery (and creepy moving objects) elements of those books, I would recommend this one.
What sets The Animals of Lockwood Manor apart however is its romance, which is a conscientious depiction of a sapphic relationship during the difficult period of the 1940’s, where war, class and patriarchal obstacles stand between women and their dreams.

Though at its heart a gothic romance, with a few dark events and buried secrets revealed later in the story, The Animals of Lockwood Manor carries a lighter tone than some of its predecessors, so for if you’re looking for deeper chills, this is maybe not the right tale. Mystery-lovers hoping for something a little more eerie won’t be disappointed however.

Circe - Customer Review

During these unusual times we have been working hard to stay in touch with the members of our shared reading groups to find out what they've been reading.  Some have put down their thoughts as reviews that we'd like to share.  Here's Olivia with her review of 'Circe' by Madeline Miller.

Yn ystod y cyfnod anarferol yma rydym wedi bod yn gweithio’n galed i aros mewn cysylltiad ag aelodau o’n grwpiau darllen i ganfod beth maen nhw wedi bod yn ei ddarllen.  Mae rhai wedi rhannu’u barn ar ffurf adolygiadau ac fe hoffem rannu’r rhain.  Dyma Olivia gyda’i barn am  'Circe' gan Madeline Miller.

‘In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child--not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power--the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.’

Madeline Millers’ Circe gives a powerful voice to the goddess of magic and daughter of the sun Helios. As a plot device in Greek mythology – most notably her infamous spell in Homer’s poem of turning Odysseus’ men into pigs – it is refreshing to read a magical and heartfelt recount of Circe that explores a woman’s perspective in a predominantly male collection of myths.

Circe is foremost a beautifully written story about self-transformation and adapting from strife, as we develop an understanding of the alternative side to the jealous and vindictive goddess. Miller tactfully touches upon themes of family outcasts, female rivalry, motherhood, love and loss; and it is so authentically written that you will feel like you are making spells with Circe in her cobbled floor cottage, sailing the seas with her on one of her iconic journeys, and prowling Aiaia with her familiar lion.

“I had been cold and stern for so long, carved with regrets and years like a monolith. But that was only a shape I had been poured into. I did not have to keep it.”

As a Latin and Greek teacher, Miller’s knowledge of the Titans and Olympians is extensive and fresh as she weaves the story in and out of the well-known myths and legends with a fine gold thread, and invites us to suffer Circe’s injustices and triumph with her as she becomes a powerful sorceress in her exile. The writing is so vivid and illuminated that I felt like a part of Circe’s long life and was reluctant to leave her at the end. I highly recommend this unique novel of the unsung heroine. 

John William Waterhouse - Sketch of Circe, 1911-1914

Girl, Woman, Other - Customer Review

During these unusual times we have been working hard to stay in touch with the members of our shared reading groups to find out what they've been reading.  Some have put down their thoughts as reviews that we'd like to share.  Here's Doreen with her opinion of 'Girl, Woman, Other' by Bernadine Evaristo.

Yn ystod y cyfnod anarferol yma rydym wedi bod yn gweithio’n galed i aros mewn cysylltiad ag aelodau o’n grwpiau darllen i ganfod beth maen nhw wedi bod yn ei ddarllen.  Mae rhai wedi rhannu’u barn ar ffurf adolygiadau ac fe hoffem rannu’r rhain.  Dyma Doreen gyda’i barn am  'Girl, Woman, Other' gan Bernadine Evaristo.

'Girl, Woman, Other' by Bernardine Evaristo is a worthy winner of the Booker prize,  which she shared with Margaret Attwood . Interestingly she writes with no full stops. In the book we meet many diverse, colourful characters, who are linked in different ways. The story covers various issues of gender,  race and class. It leads to a satisfying conclusion but some may ask what happened next. I think this book can be enjoyed by any age and not necessarily just by women.

‘Highly Recommended!’ by the staff at Torfaen Libraries

Welcome back!  Last time, library staff recommended books for our junior and teenage readers.  This month it’s the turn of the adults, four more books that are well worth a look!

The Priory of the Orange by Samantha Shannon (recommended by Angharad) – A diverse and inclusive set of characters in a fantasy epic filled with original cultures, myths and creatures.  Most unique fantasy book I’ve read in years, it’s long but I loved it!

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters (recommended by Mair) – A richly written, well-crafted story set in 1922 London, full of subtlety, intensity and a mix of genres.

The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary by Catherine Gray (recommended by Skye) – An insightful read that reframes how you approach everyday life.  Catherine has a humorous writing style that is down to earth and relatable.

Gutsy Women by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton (recommended by Skye) – An informative and inspiring collection of stories featuring pioneering women who have contributed greatly to the fields of politics, civil rights, science, sports and education.

We hope you enjoy whatever you’re reading this month, don’t forget that you can access more books for free online on BorrowBox by using your library card.

Croeso ‘nôl!  Fis diwethaf, rhoddodd staff y llyfrgell gymeradwyaeth o lyfrau i’n darllenwyr iau a’r rheiny yn eu harddegau.  Dyma dro’r oedolion felly, pedwar llyfr sydd werth eu darllen!

The Priory of the Orange gan Samantha Shannon (cymeradwywyd gan Angharad) – Cymeriadau amrywiol a chynhwysol mewn stori ffantasi’n llawn diwylliannau, mythau a chreaduriaid gwreiddiol.  Y llyfr ffantasi mwyaf unigryw i mi ddarllen ers blynyddoedd, mae’n hir ond roeddwn i werth fy modd!

The Paying Guests gan Sarah Waters (cymeradwywyd gan Mair) – Stori  gyfoethog a chrefftus wedi ei seilio yn Llundain yn 1922, llawn cynildeb, dwyster a chymysgedd o genres.

The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary gan Catherine Gray (cymeradwywyd gan Skye) – Llyfr craff sy’n ail-ffurfio’ch ffordd o edrych ar fywyd pob dydd. Mae gan Catherine ddull digrif o ysgrifennu sy’n ddiffwdan a chydymdeimladwy.

Gutsy Women gan Hillary a Chelsea Clinton (cymeradwywyd gan Skye) – Casgliad o storïau llawn gwybodaeth ac ysbrydoledig yn cynnwys menywod arloesol sydd wedi cyfrannu’n helaeth ym meysydd gwleidyddiaeth, hawliau sifil, gwyddoniaeth, chwaraeon ac addysg.

Rydym yn gobeithio y byddwch yn mwynhau pa bynnag lyfrau y byddwch yn eu darllen y mis hwn, peidiwch ag anghofio bod modd i chi gael rhagor o lyfrau am ddim ar-lein ar BorrowBox gan ddefnyddio’ch cerdyn llyfrgell.