You’re probably done with boring-ass Spanish books. And I’m not just talking textbooks — you can throw in anything you wouldn’t normally read in English in there too…
Let me explain:
One day at work in Camden, I had a Spanish learning epiphany. On my breaks, I’d read BBC Mundo (the news in Spanish). But I’d never read the actual news articles on there. Only articles about Latin American culture, science, or random studies about happiness. So why on earth was I choosing to read a bloody news site?
Now, this is hardly groundbreaking. But, I realised I wasn’t seeing Spanish as a way to explore my interests — I was using the “Spanish learning” resources we’re told about. So, I decided I’m just going to watch, listen, and read the same shit I like in English but in Spanish. That way I’m not learning Spanish I’m just learning.
This mindset shift was a big breakthrough for my Spanish and personal development goals. And why I wanted to put it out there with a list of books I love. Books I hope you love too.
Okay, happy reading!
Intermediate Spanish books (fiction)
Quantic Love: Sónia Fernández Vidal
This book is cursi (cheesy) as hell, but I loved it. It’s written for teens, so the Spanish is easy to understand and has a fast pace. Plus, the writer is actually a physicist. She wanted to make science more accessible to a younger audience. The result, romance stories that help you learn about physics. What’s not to love? I devoured this book in times of Covid and learned a lot.
Crónicas de la Torre: Laura Gallego García and Marcelo Pérez
One summer, I went on holiday to Valencia in Spain. My Spanish wasn’t great — Like beginner/ intermediate level. After a day of sunbathing, I went to one of the nearby bars for a post-beach beer. I got chatting with the bar girl who is now a good friend of mine. She recommended me the Las Cronicas de la Torre. Books she loved as a teen. As you can see, I enjoyed them so much I read the entire series.
Crónicas de la Torre I. El Valle de los Lobos
Crónicas de la Torre II. La maldición del Maestro
Crónicas de la Torre III. La llamada de los muertos
Crónicas de la Torre IV. Fenris, el elfo
They follow the story of a normal girl that belongs to a world of witchcraft and wizardry. If you like fantasy and romance these are a bit of you. And, even if not (like me before reading them), they’re super easy to read for beginners/intermediates.
Colombian author Mario Mendoza
The next two are reco’s from my paisa Spanish teacher (a paisa is someone from Antioquia in Colombia). Back in Medellín for the 4th time, I wanted to read something from a Colombian. Both are set in Bogotá and touch on real-world issues so you get a feel for what it’s like living in Colombia.
Satanas is a story that connects the lives of different characters. Now there are some strong themes of druggings, rape, and murders. But despite the heaviness, It gripped me from start to dramatic finish.
La melancolia de los feos, again, is dark. It follows the sad story of a hunchback outcast who rightly feels hard done by the world.
Both are not too long and super easy to read.
Inspirational Non-fiction
I read the following books after watching their talks on BBVA Aprender Juntos. Which, by the way, is amazing. It’s like Ted Talks but in Spanish but better. And a great place to find interesting reads.
Kilómetros de Sonrisas: Viaje en bicicleta por Sudamérica
You have to read this book if you’re gonna travel South America. Or, at least watch his talk. Álvaro cycled around South America on his bike (and then the rest of the world). It’s a story about following your dreams no matter what. And, how we humans are actually beautiful people despite what the media portrays.
Libre y salvaje: La gran aventura de la vuelta al mundo a pie by Ignacio Dean
Another intrepid explorer, Ignacio, walked around the world. Expect more stories of overcoming adversity and fighting for your dreams I loved reading about his journey through Latin America. I guess because I can picture exactly where he is as I’m reading. Maybe you can or will too.
Libre y salvaje: La gran aventura de la vuelta al mundo a pie
Other inspirational non-fiction to consider
Si no te gusta tu vida, ¡cámbiala!: El desafío diario de hacer realidad tus sueños by Jesús Calleja
(English title: if you don’t like your life, change it!: The daily challenge to make your dreams a reality)
Another book from another adventurer — there’s a theme occurring here… This is the story of a famous Spanish TV personality whose passion is summiting mountains around the world.
(English title: Superpowers of success for normal people: get what you want…working like a cabrón)
Mago followed his passion for magic despite pressure from his family to follow a more “conventional” life. This is kind of like Atomic Habits by James Clear. It’s an easy-to-read and practical guide to cultivate success in your daily life.
Advanced level Spanish books
Anything by Carlos Ruiz Zafón…
His books are like magic. In fact, he’s probably my favorite author ever. Admittedly, I read his most famous series El Cementerio de Los Libros Olvidado, or “the cemetery of forgotten books” in English. Only now can I read his others in Spanish. They are more challenging reads.
If you like something with mystery, magic, suspense, and incredible character development you’ve gotta give them a go. The story follows the story of a bookkeeper and his son in Barcelona. The son (Daniel) finds the book La Sombra del Viento written by a mysterious author but soon finds out the books are being destroyed by a shady character. With the help of his enigmatic sidekick (Fermin), they attempt to get to the bottom of everything.
The series is beautifully connected and super clever. It’s one of those where you laugh, cry, and be gutted when it’s over. Here are links to his series in order:
The Open Veins of Latin America
This is my must-read Spanish books if you want to better understand Latin American history. The story of this beautiful land has an ugly, distressing past. Las venas abiertas is as comprehensive as it gets in explaining the colonial past of Latin America. I’ll admit, I’ve still not finished reading it yet. It’s heavy going and has un montón of new vocab. But, vale la pena.
Un montón = loads
Vale la pena = worth it
Las venas abiertas de América Latina: Eduardo Galeano
Other advanced fiction books I loved
Reina roja & Rey blanco by Juan Gómez-Jurado
This series has the girl with a dragon tattoo vibes (the books by Stieg Larsson). The main character is a super clever female oddball, Antonia. Antonia and her sidekick start working together as part of a top-secret program in Spain. The story takes place in the modern-day so the language is up-to-date. I liked that the chapters were short so I wouldn’t get tired. Reading in Spanish does put me to sleep.
How to make reading Spanish books easier
Reading in Spanish is hard work. Especially paper books. My advice is to invest in a kindle or e-reader. This saves soo much time from google translating words while you read. All you gots to do is press the word you don’t know and it gives you the translation. Perfecto. And, if you love a flashcard, the words get saved into Kindles flashcard feature so you revise them later. How decent is that!
Don’t worry about not understanding everything
And don’t feel you need to search every word you don’t know. Trust you’ll get the gist of what you’re reading. The common words will stick eventually and you only need to search for words that are vital to the comprehension of the sentence.
En fin.
Read more of what you read normally (I know, sounds obvious when you put it like that). But, if you love horror, read horror. If you love romance, read romance (there is plenty of that in Spanish). Or, if you’re studying finance, why not study it in Spanish? Get Spanish in and around your life as much as you can — it made a huge difference for me. And hence why I’m addicted to reading about travel and adventure — but in Spanish.
Now, I’m gonna keep adding more of my favorites to this list. And I love and respect a book recommendation. Let me know in the comments your favorite Spanish language books.
Nick
