And the award goes to...

With awards season well underway, we’ve put together a collection of titles for this week’s blog to help you find the words behind the film.

These titles are available now or coming soon to your local Torfaen library or via your device of choice using the BorrowBox service (freely available to all Torfaen library members).

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin - Tish is nineteen and pregnant whilst her lover Fonny, father of her child, is in jail. Flashbacks from their love affair are woven into the compelling struggle of two families to win justice for Fonny. James Baldwin brings a spare and impassioned intensity to his story, charging it with universal resonance and power.

Somebody to Love by Matt Richards and Mark Langthorne - Biographers Mark Langthorne and Matt Richards skilfully weave Freddie's pursuit of musical greatness with Queen, his upbringing and endless search for love, with the origins and aftermath of a terrible disease that swept across the world in the 1980s.

The Wife by Meg Wolitzer - Joe and Joan Castleman are en route to Helsinki. Joe is thinking about the prestigious literary prize he will receive there, while Joan is plotting how to leave him. For too long she has played the role of supportive wife whilst quietly being the keystone of his success. But behind the compromises, the disappointment and disillusionment there lies a secret…

Can You Ever Forgive Me? by Lee Israel - Before turning to her life of crime Lee Israel had a legitimate career as an author of biographies. Her first book was a New York Times bestseller and her second made a splash in the headlines.  By 1990, almost broke and desperate to hang onto her Upper West Side studio, Lee made a bold, irreversible career change: inspired by a letter she’d received once from Katharine Hepburn...

Gyda’r tymor gwobrau wedi dechrau, rydym wedi llunio casgliad o deitlau ar gyfer blog yr wythnos hon i’ch helpu chi i ganfod y geiriau y tu ôl i’r ffilm.

Mae’r teitlau hyn ar gael nawr neu’n dod yn fuan i’ch llyfrgell leol yn Nhorfaen neu eich dyfais gan ddefnyddio gwasanaeth BorrowBox (ar gael am ddim i holl aelodau llyfrgell Torfaen).

If Beale Street Could Talk gan James Baldwin - Mae Tish yn bedair ar bymtheg ac yn feichiog tra bo ei chariad Fonny, tad ei phlentyn, yn y carchar. Mae ôl-fflachiau o’u carwriaeth yn cael eu plethu mewn stori gymhellol am ddau deulu sy’n ceisio cael cyfiawnder i Fonny. Mae James Baldwin yn creu stori ddwys, rymus dros ben.

Somebody to Love gan Matt Richards a Mark Langthorne - Mae’r cofianwyr Mark Langthorne a Matt Richards yn plethu taith Freddie i ganfod hynodrwydd cerddorol gyda Queen, ei fagwraeth a’r chwilio diddiwedd am gariad, gyda tharddiad ac adladd afiechyd erchyll a ysgubodd ar draws y byd yn y 1980au.

The Wife gan Meg Wolitzer - Mae Joe a Joan Castleman ar y ffordd i Helsinki. Mae Joe yn meddwl am y wobr lenyddol glodfawr y bydd yn ei hennill yno, tra bo Joan yn cynllwynio sut i’w adael. Mae hi wedi chwarae rôl y wraig gefnogol yn rhy hir, wrth fod yn gonglfaen ei lwyddiant, yn dawel bach. Ond y tu ôl i’r cyfaddawdu, y siom a’r dadrithiad, mae cyfrinach …

Can You Ever Forgive Me? gan Lee Israel - Cyn troi at fywyd o drosedd, roedd gan Lee Israel yrfa ddilys fel awdur bywgraffiadau. Roedd ei llyfr cyntaf yn rhestr goreuon y New York Times ac ymddangosodd yr ail ar dudalennu blaen y papurau newydd.

Erbyn 1990, bron heb arian o gwbl ar ôl ac eisiau cadw gafael ar ei stiwdio yn yr Upper West Side, newidiodd Lee ei gyrfa yn llwyr, wedi ei hysbrydoli gan lythyr a gafodd unwaith gan Katharine Hepburn…

FREE BorrowBox E-books & E-audio books at your Library!

Bestselling eBooks and eAudiobooks are available from Torfaen Libraries through BorrowBox.

With the BorrowBox library app, you can browse, borrow and download international titles by your favourite authors from the comfort of your own home or when you're out and about.  Alternatively, you can access the service via your laptop or home computer and read your choices on a freely downloadable eReader program.

The BorrowBox service also has a wide range of e-audio books available for you to download onto your computer or most mobile devices to listen to. There are English and Welsh language books, fiction and non-fiction, and books for adults and children.

You can renew your book, reserve another or return your loans whenever you like – BorrowBox is always open.

If you are already a member of Torfaen Libraries you can start using BorrowBox today by using your library card number and the four digit PIN number that would have been set up during your registration (it’s the same PIN number that you use when logging onto our library computers).

 

Joining Torfaen Libraries is easy and free, just pop down to any of our libraries with a proof of address and we’ll get you signed up!

BorrowBox takes just minutes to get used to but if you’d like any help getting set up or using this or any other online service we provide come along to our weekly IT drop-in sessions and we’d be happy to help:

Blaenavon Library – Wednesdays, 2-4pm

Cwmbran Library – Tuesdays, 10-11.30am and Thursdays, 10am-12pm & 2.30-4.30pm

Pontypool Library – Tuesdays, 10am-12pm

For great stories – Anywhere, Everywhere – access BorrowBox at Torfaen Libraries today!

BorrowBox for your laptop or home computer

BorrowBox on Google Play for Android devices

BorrowBox on the App Store for Apple devices

BorrowBox for Amazon Fire devices

Mae eLyfrau ac eLyfrau Sain poblogaidd o Lyfrgelloedd Torfaen trwy BorrowBox.

Gydag ap llyfrgell BorrowBox, medrwch bori, benthyg a lawrlwytho teitlau rhyngwladol gan eich hoff awduron o gysur eich cartref neu pan fyddwch allan o’r tŷ. Fel arall, medrwch ddefnyddio’r gwasanaeth ar eich gliniadur neu gyfrifiadur cartref a darllen eich dewisiadau ar raglen eReader sydd ar gael i’w lawrlwytho am ddim.

Mae gan y gwasanaeth BorrowBox hefyd amrywiaeth eang o lyfrau sain ar gael i chi eu lawrlwytho ar eich cyfrifiadur a’r rhan fwyaf o ddyfeisiau symudol. Mae llyfrau Cymraeg a Saesneg, ffuglen a ffeithiol, a llyfrau i oedolion a phlant.

Medrwch adnewyddu eich eLyfr, neilltuo un arall neu ddychwelyd eich benthyciadau arlein ar unrhyw adeg - mae BorrowBox ar agor trwy’r amser.

Os ydych chi eisoes yn aelod o Lyfrgelloedd Torfaen, medrwch ddechrau defnyddio BorrowBox heddiw trwy ddefnyddio eich cerdyn llyfrgell a rhif personol pedwar digid a fyddai wedi ei drefnu adeg cofrestru (mae’r un rhif a ddefnyddiwch pan fyddwch yn mewngofnodi ar ein cyfrifiaduron). 

Mae ymuno â Llyfrgelloedd Torfaen yn hawdd ac am ddim – ewch draw i un o’n llyfrgelloedd gyda phrawf o’ch cyfeiriad a medrwn eich cofrestru chi!

Dim ond ychydig o funudau mae’n ei gymryd i ddod i arfer â defnyddio BorrowBox ond os hoffech unrhyw help i ddechrau, neu i ddefnyddio’r gwasanaeth hwn neu unrhyw wasanaeth arlein arall a ddarparwn, dewch draw i’n sesiynau TG galw heibio wythnosol a byddwn yn falch o’ch helpu:

Llyfrgell Blaenafon – Dydd Mercher, 2-4pm

Llyfrgell Cwmbrân – Dydd Mawrth, 10-11.30am a Dydd Iau, 10am-12pm a2.30-4.30pm

Llyfrgell Pont-y-pŵl - Dydd Mawrth, 10am-12pm

I gael straeon gwych – unrhyw le, ym mhob man – cofrestrwch ar gyfer BorrowBox yn Llyfrgelloedd Torfaen heddiw!

BorrowBox ar gyfer eich gliniadur neu gyfrifiadur cartref

BorrowBox ar Google Play ar gyfer dyfeisiau Android

BorrowBox ar yr App Store ar gyfer dyfeisiau Apple

BorrowBox ar gyfer dyfeisiau Amazon Fire

Costa Book Awards

A new year means a new batch of books vying to win their category in the annual Costa Book Awards.

The ultimate victor of the Costa Book of the Year 2018 was revealed on Tuesday 29 January (Congratulations to Bart Van Es for The Cut Out Girl) but we’re going to look at all the category winners.  Why not try one for your next read?

Costa Novel Award Winner

Normal People by Sally Rooney - Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small town in rural Ireland. The similarities end there; they are from very different worlds. When they both earn places at Trinity College in Dublin, a connection that has grown between them lasts long into the following years.

This is an exquisite love story about how a person can change another person's life.

Costa First Novel Award Winner

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton - a celebration ends in tragedy. As fireworks explode overhead, Evelyn Hardcastle, the young and beautiful daughter of the house, is killed.

But Evelyn will not die just once. Until Aiden - a guest at the party - can solve her murder, the day will repeat itself, over and over again. Every time ending with the fateful pistol shot.  To break the cycle he must identify the killer…

Costa Children's Book Award Winner

The Skylarks’ War by Hilary McKay - The Skylarks' War is a beautiful story of a family growing up against the harsh backdrop of World War One.

Clarry and her brother Peter live for their Cornwall summers.  But normal life resumes each September – boarding school for Peter and Rupert, and a boring life for Clarry at home with her absent father, as the shadow of a terrible war looms ever closer.  Can their family survive this fearful war?

Costa Biography Award Winner

The Cut Out Girl by Bart Van Es - Little Lien wasn't taken from her Jewish parents - she was given away in the hope that she might be saved. Hidden and raised by a foster family during the Nazi occupation, she survived the war only to find that her real parents had not. Much later, she fell out with her foster family, and Bart van Es - the grandson of Lien's foster parents - knew he needed to find out why.

Costa Poetry Award 2018 Winner

Assurances by J.O. Morgan - A war-poem both historic and frighteningly topical, Assurances begins in the 1950s during a period of vigilance and dread in the middle of the Cold War: the long stand-off between nuclear powers, where the only defence was the threat of mutually assured destruction.

Gyda blwyddyn newydd daw casgliad newydd o lyfrau sy’n ceisio ennill yn eu categori yng Ngwobrau Llyfrau blynyddol Costa.

Cyhoeddwyd enillydd Llyfr y Flwyddyn Costa 2018 ar ddydd Mawrth 29 Ionawr (Llongyfarchiadau i Bart Van Es am The Cut Out Girl) ond rydym ni am gymryd cipolwg ar enillwyr y categorïau.  Pam na rowch chi dro ar un y tro nesaf?

Enillydd Gwobr Nofel Costa

Normal People gan Sally Rooney - Mae Connell a Marianne yn tyfu i fyny yn yr un dref fach yn Iwerddon wledig.  Dyna ddiwedd y tebygrwydd; maen nhw’n dod o fydoedd gwahanol iawn.  Pan fo’r ddau yn cael lle yng Ngholeg y Drindod yn Nulyn  mae cysylltiad sydd wedi tyfu rhyngddyn nhw'n parhau dros y blynyddoedd a ddaw.

Stori serch deimladwy ynglŷn â sut all rhywun newid bywyd rhywun arall.

Enillydd Gwobr Nofel Gyntaf Costa

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle gan Stuart Turton – mae dathliad yn troi’n drasiedi.  Wrth i dân gwyllt frwydro, caiff Evelyn Hardcastle, merch ifanc a phrydferth y tŷ, ei lladd.

Ond dyw Evelyn ddim yn fodlon marw ond unwaith. Hyd nes y gall Aiden – gwestai yn y parti – ddatrys dirgelwch ei llofruddiaeth, bydd y diwrnod yn ailadrodd ei hun, drosodd a throsodd, gan orffen bob tro gyda thrawiad marwol y gwn. Er mwyn torri’r cylch, rhaid iddo gael hyd i’r llofrudd …

Enillydd Gwobr Llyfr Plant Costa

The Skylarks’ War gan Hilary McKay – Stori hyfryd yw The Skylarks' War am deulu’n tyfu yn ystod cyni a chaledi’r Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf.

Mae Clarry a’i brawd Peter yn edrych ymlaen at eu hafau yng Nghernyw.  Ond daw bywyd arferol yn ôl bob mis Medi – ysgol breswyl i Peter a Rupert, a bywyd diflas i Clarry gartref gyda’i thad yn absennol, wrth i gysgod rhyfel erchyll droedio’n nes. All y teulu oroesi’r rhyfel brawychus hwn?

Enillydd Gwobr Cofiant Costa

The Cut Out Girl gan Bart Van Es – Chafodd Lien ‘mo’i chymryd oddi wrth ei rhieni Iddewig – cafodd ei rhoi i ffwrdd yn y gobaith y cai ei hachub.  Fe’i cuddiwyd ac fe’i magwyd gan deulu maeth yn ystod goresgyniad y Natsïaid, llwyddodd i oroesi ond daeth i ddeall na fu ei rhieni fyw. Yn nes ymlaen, aeth i ffraeo gyda’i theulu maeth, ac roedd Bart van Es – ŵyr rhieni maeth Lien – yn gwybod bod rhaid iddo ganfod pam.

Enillydd Gwobr Barddoniaeth Costa 2018

Assurances gan J.O. Morgan – Cerdd rhyfel sy’n hanesyddol ac yn frawychus o gyfoes, mae Assurances yn dechrau yn y 1950au yn ystod cyfnod o wyliadwriaeth ac ofn yng nghanol y rhyfel oer: yr anghytundeb rhwng y grymoedd niwclear, pan mai’r unig amddiffyniad oedd y bygythiad o ddinistr ar y cyd.

Harry Potter Book Night at the Library

Torfaen Libraries' Favourite time of the year is here again...

It's Harry Potter Book Night on Thursday 7th February and staff in Cwmbran and Pontypool Libraries are busy organizing our annual celebration. 

Every year we invite around 60 children to come to our libraries dressed as their favourite Harry Potter character. The staff dress up too and it is safe to say we probably all enjoy this as much as the children.

During the evening the invited wizards, witches and magical creatures take part in a mystical array of activities beginning with The Sorting Hat Ceremony- Are you a Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Griffindor or Ravenclaw? Next a Treasure Hunt to find magical artefacts hidden around the library followed by a gripping extract from one of the HP books then onto craft making, quizzes and more...

Since 1997 when Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone was first published, J K Rowling's hugely successful stories have encouraged even the most reluctant young readers to pick up a book. All 7 books have been reprinted many times including sets with a 'grown-up' cover so adults can read the books without embarrassment. (I have never been embarrassed reading them!) They have been translated into 80 languages and sold over 500 million copies worldwide. Audio versions were recorded too. These unabridged editions which were expertly narrated by Stephen Fry, are available on audio CD or as an e-audio book. There have also been 8 very popular films (The final book - The Deathly Hallows  was split into 2 parts).

Although the Harry Potter name has now become a franchise and there are theme parks and merchandise items galore it is worth remembering that at the heart of it all is a series of 7 books which have captivated and enthralled millions of children. That is what we celebrate on Harry Potter Book Night.

See our Facebook page for further details:  Facebook

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Mae hoff amser y flwyddyn Llyfrgelloedd Torfaen wedi cyrraedd unwaith eto...

Mae’n Noson Lyfrau Harry Potter nos Iau 7 Chwefror ac mae staff Llyfrgelloedd Cwmbrân a Phont-y-pŵl wrthi’n brysur yn trefnu ein dathliad blynyddol.

Bob blwyddyn rydym yn gwahodd tua 60 o blant i ddod i'n llyfrgelloedd wedi gwisgo fel eu hoff gymeriad o gyfresi Harry Potter. Mae'r staff yn gwisgo i fyny hefyd ac mae'n sicr ein bod ni yn mwynhau hyn gymaint â'r plant.

 

Yn ystod y noson mae'r dewiniaid, gwrachod a chreaduriaid hudolus yn cymryd rhan mewn amrywiaeth o weithgareddau yn dechrau gyda'r Seremoni Didoli'r Hetiau - Ydych chi'n Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Griffindor neu Ravenclaw? Nesaf, bydd Helfa Drysor i ddod o hyd i arteffactau swynol o gwmpas y llyfrgell, cyn clywed detholiad gwefreiddiol o un o lyfrau HP, cyn mynd ymlaen i wneud crefftau, cymryd rhan mewn cwisiau a mwy ...

Ers 1997 pan gyhoeddwyd Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone gyntaf, mae straeon hynod lwyddiannus J K Rowling wedi annog hyd yn oed y darllenwyr ifanc mwyaf amharod i godi llyfr. Ail-argraffwyd pob un o'r 7 llyfr nifer o weithiau gan gynnwys setiau gyda gorchudd 'mwy aeddfed' fel y gall oedolion ddarllen y llyfrau heb deimlo'n chwithig. (Nid wyf byth yn teimlo'n chwithig wrth fynd ati i'w darllen!) Maent wedi eu cyfieithu i 80 o ieithoedd ac wedi gwerthu dros 500 miliwn o gopïau ledled y byd. Cofnodwyd fersiynau sain. Mae'r rhifynnau cyflawn hyn a gafodd eu hadrodd mewn modd mor arbennig gan Stephen Fry, ar gael ar CD sain neu fel e-lyfrau sain. Gwnaethpwyd hefyd 8 ffilm hynod boblogaidd (rhannwyd y llyfr terfynol yn 2 ran).

Er bod enw Harry Potter bellach wedi dod yn fasnachfraint ac mae parciau thema a thoreth o nwyddau ac eitemau bellach ar gael, mae'n werth cofio mai cyfres o 7 llyfr sydd wrth wraidd y cyfan, sydd wedi hudo a swyno miliynau o blant. Dyna'r hyn yr ydym yn ei ddathlu ar Noson Llyfrau Harry Potter.

Gweler ein tudalen Facebook i gael manylion pellach: Facebook

Happy New Reads 2019!

Happy New Year to you all!  What better way to start 2019 than to have a look at some of the highly anticipated titles coming soon to a Torfaen library near you…

The Suspect by Fiona Barton (24 January) - The Suspect is the story of two 18-year-old girls who disappear on a trip to Thailand and Kate Waters, the journalist who attempts to find them. While working to solve the mystery of their kidnappings, Waters begins to unravel a few other unsolved mysteries in her own life.

The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff (5 February) - In 1946 Manhattan, one woman discovers the secrets of a ring of female spies during the time of World War II. Jenoff, bestselling author of The Orphan’s Tale, brings serious girl power to this story of brave women and the war.

Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce (21 February) - Lust, lies, lawyers – and murder, of course – all come together in Harriet Tyce’s debut novel.  Ambitious lawyer Alison should be focussing on her first murder case – as well as her family at home – but is distracted by an affair and the feeling that somebody knows all of her secrets and wants to make her pay. 

Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (7 March) - This is the story of a fictional band, Daisy Jones and The Six, and how they made it in the 70s, enjoyed arena tours and the excess of success, before unexpectedly splitting up in 1979. It’s written as a hyper-realistic oral history, a clever conceit that allows the author to explore what happens when we wake up from our youth.

The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick (26 March) - Librarian Martha Storm’s sedate life is flipped upside down when she discovers in an old book what appears to be a clue hinting that her grandmother may still be alive. Martha decides to step away from the library and take up the chase, which – inevitably, the cynic might say – leads her on a journey of self-discovery.

Darllen Da ar gyfer 2019

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i chi i gyd!  Pa well ffordd i ddechrau  2019 na chymryd cipolwg ar rai o’r llyfrau y mae mawr disgwyl amdanyn nhw ac sy’n dod i lyfrgelloedd Torfaen cyn bo hir…

The Suspect gan Fiona Barton (24 Ionawr) - Stori yw The Suspect am ddwy ferch 18 oed sy’n diflannu ar daith i Wlad Tai ac am Kate Waters, y newyddiadurwraig sy’n ceisio cael hyd iddyn nhw. Tra ei bod yn gweithio i ddatrys dirgelwch eu herwgipio, mae Waters yn dechrau datrys rhai o ddirgelion ei bywyd ei hun.

The Lost Girls of Paris gan Pam Jenoff (5 Chwefror) - Ym Manhattan yn 1946, mae un fenyw yn darganfod cyfrinachau cylch o ysbiwragedd yn ystod yr Ail Ryfel Byd. Mae Jenoff, awdur The Orphan’s Tale, yn dod â nerth a grym i’r stori yma am fenywod dewr a’r rhyfel.

Blood Orange gan Harriet Tyce (21 Chwefror) – Chwant, celwydd, cyfreithwyr – a llofruddiaeth, wrth gwrs – yn dod ynghyd yn nofel gyntaf Harriet Tyce.  Dylai’r gyfreithwraig uchelgeisiol Alison fod yn canolbwyntio ar ei hachos gyntaf o lofruddiaeth – yn ogystal â’i theulu gartref – ond mae ei sylw’n mynd ar berthynas gyfrinachol a’r teimlad bod rhywun yn gwybod ei chyfrinachau i gyd ac am wneud iddi hi dalu. 

Daisy Jones and The Six gan Taylor Jenkins Reid (7 Mawrth) - Dyma ffuglen am fand, Daisy Jones and The Six, a sut y bu iddyn nhw lwyddo yn y 70au, mwynhau teithiau a gormodedd llwyddiant, cyn chwalu’n annisgwyl yn 1979.   Mae’r stori wedi ei hysgrifennu fel hanes llafar realistig dros ben, hunan-dyb clyfar sy’n caniatáu i’r awdur ymchwilio i’r hyn sy’n digwydd pan fyddwn ni’n ymadael â’n hieuenctid.

The Library of Lost and Found gan Phaedra Patrick (26 Mawrth) – Mae bywyd sidêt y llyfrgellydd Martha Storm yn cael ei droi wyneb i waered ar ôl iddi weld awgrym mewn hen lyfr y gall ei mam-gu fod yn fyw o hyd. Mae Martha yn penderfynu camu i ffwrdd o’r llyfrgell a mynd ar helfa sydd – yn anochel y byddai rhai yn dweud – yn ei harwain ar siwrnai o hunan-ddarganfyddiad.