Top 16 Best Spanish Books Updated 04 /2024

How does it feel to read a book in another language? It's like asking a friend to go on a vacation and show you some pictures. Reading a book in its original form is like getting on a plane and going to a new place. There are a lot of words you don't know when you start out, but don't worry. You will get used to them. You get better at reading as you read more

The books on this list have been chosen by our Spanish experts and are the best books in Spanish. People who are just learning Spanish will have a hard time reading them, so if you're just getting started, download the Memrise App. It's the fastest and most fun way to learn real-life Spanish quickly. If you're good at Spanish and already say "I like to read in Spanish" to yourself, let's keep going!

Here are some must-read Spanish novels that you should not miss:

Cien años de soledad

Author: Gabriel García MárquezYear: 1967English Title:One Hundred Years of Solitude

When you talk about literature in the Spanish language, this book by Colombian writer Gabriel Garca Marquez is usually the first thing that comes to mind. Is a book that tells the story of the Buendia family, who live in the fictional town of Macondo. It has become a symbol for the history of the country of Colombia and the way it has turned out. It is influenced by Modernism and the CubanVanguardia movement, and is one of the most important works of Latin American Magical Realism ever written, as well. 37 different languages have been used to make it, and it has sold over 30 million copies around the world.

La sombra del viento

Author: Carlos Ruiz ZafónYear: 2001English Title:The Shadow of the Wind

Carlos Luis Zafón, a Spanish writer, has written a book that has sold all over the world. It's a romantic thriller set in Barcelona. It tells the story of a young writer who is asked to write a book by an unknown person. It starts with the industrial revolution and ends with the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. La Sombra del Viento has sold more than 15 million copies around the world in many different languages, making it one of the most popular books ever written. Some of the things that make this book magical aren't actually part of the genre.

El corazón helado

Author: Almudena Grandes Year: 2007English Title:The Frozen Heart

In Spain, Almudena Grandes was one of the most popular and well-known female authors. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called her "one of the most important writers of our time." People across the country were sad when she died last November. El corazón helado is one of her best books. In it, she does an exercise in historical memory, digging into the unpleasant past of the Spanish Civil War. This is one of her best books.

Crónica de una muerte anunciada

Author: Gabriel García MárquezYear: 1981English Title:Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Not only is the second Gabriel Garca Márquez book in this list because it has a very unique style, but it also has a lot of important things going for it.

The story of a death that was announced is written backwards. The book starts at the end and moves forward to the beginning. "The day they killed him, Santiago Nasar woke up at five in the morning." At 5am on the day they killed him, Santiago Nasar got up and went to work. During the book, you will learn who killed him and why. This is a short but thought-provoking book that is good for intermediate-level English speakers.

Las travesuras de la niña mala

Author: Mario Vargas LlosaYear: 2006English Title:The Bad Girl

In 2010, Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa won the Nobel Prize for Literature. This love story, which he wrote, is sure to be a favorite of language lovers, too. The main character is a conference interpreter who works in a lot of different cities all over the world. During the 1940s and 50s, he lives in Lima, Peru. After that, he moves to Paris and London, and then spends some time in Tokyo. Finally, he ends up living in Madrid. Vargas Llosa takes this chance to show how these cities have changed over time and how they looked at the time. This is what he talks about when he talks about London in the 1970s, Madrid in the 1980s, Paris in the 1990s, and Peru in the 1990s. He talks about the hippies and the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Como agua para chocolate

Author: Laura EsquivelYear: 1989English Title:Like Water for Chocolate

Laura Esquivel, a Mexican author, wrote a book called "Como agua para chocolate," which is a classic in the magic realism genre. Cooking and the mysterious mysticism that surrounds them help a traditional Mexican family get out of their boring lives, where they are bound by society's expectations and gender roles. They can then truly express their feelings and achieve their dreams. Laura Esquivel used to publish the book in a magazine every month, with a different recipe for each chapter. So if you read this book, you'll also learn how to make some tasty Mexican food! Como agua para chocolate is great for intermediate Spanish speakers. It was even made into a popular movie in 1992.

20 poemas de amor y una canción desesperada

Author: Pablo NerudaYear: 1924English Title:Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair

This collection of love poems was written by Pablo Neruda when he was just 19 years old in 1924. Over the years, it has become a hot-button issue because of its strong imagery and the fact that the author was only 18 when he wrote it. It is still the most popular poetry book in Spanish history with more than 20 million copies sold. In addition, W. S. Merwin wrote a poem in English about the same subject. In Spanish, many of Neruda's most memorable lines are used, such as "Quiero hacer contigo lo que el primavera hace con loscerezos." "I want to do for you what Spring does with the cherry trees."

Corazón tan blanco

Author: Javier MaríasYear: 1992English Title:A Heart So White

Language lovers will love this one, too! Spain's Javier Maras tells the story of a conference interpreter named Juan who wants to find out more about his father's two previous marriages and their murky past. He does this by using his new wife, Luisa, to help him. Makes good use of its setting in a sexy Havana, Cuba, and talks about politics, love, and the life of conference interpreters.

La casa de Bernarda Alba

Author: Federico García LorcaYear: 1945English Title:The House of Bernarda Alba

If you want to read a play instead of a book, Federico Garca Lorca's La casa de Bernarda Alba is a great place to start. This play is about a group of women and their grandmother (Bernarda Alba). All of the people in the house in Granada, Spain, are sad because the father of the family has just died. The play takes place after the Spanish Civil War, which makes it a metaphor for post-war Spain. For this story about women, it's great because it shows how different daughters react to their female characters being repressed in the post-war era. Some people think that Lorca saw the house of Bernarda Alba as a sign that he was going to die.

La casa de los espíritus

Author: Isabel AllendeYear: 1982English Title:The House of the Spirits

It was a big hit at the time. La casa de los espritus is about love, death, and ghosts (ghosts) as told by a girl and her grandfather. In 1982, the book was named Chile's Best Novel of the Year. It has been translated into more than 20 languages, but it's best to read it in Spanish. It was also made into a movie in 1994, with Meryl Streep and Antonio Banderas in it, and it was very good.

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