No, I don't want to go to Colombia right now. The best way to get ready to go on a trip is by reading a new book! In this post, I'm going to talk about the 25 best books about Colombia that I have read. This list has a book for everyone, no matter what they like to read. Categories will include novels set in Colombia, books about living in Colombia, books about history, books about history, and books about travel. These works may help you learn a little more about Colombia before you go on a trip there. Please let me know if there are any books I didn't include on this list.

Novels set in Colombia

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

Gabriel Garca Márquez is the best author to start this list with, so I won't start with anyone else. Let's start with his book One Hundred Years of Solitude, which shows off the magical realism movement. In this story, the reader follows seven generations of the Buenda family as they live in Macondo, a town that isn't real. During the rise and fall of this isolated town, Márquez shows that chaos and order are both sides of the same coin. He also shows that the past, present, and future are all linked together.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez

Chronicle of a Death Foretold is based on an event that happened in Sucre, Colombia, in 1951. It tells the story of a series of events that led up to the murder of Santiago Nasar. That's why, 27 years after the crime, Márquez interviews people in the town to figure out how it was done. Everyone knew what was going to happen, but no one did anything. This short and easy-to-read book is a great example of how well Márquez can write a story.

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

Florentino Ariza's love for Fermina Daza is shown in this movie. Florentino is not happy that Fermina married a successful doctor. Florentino, on the other hand, can't move on even though he has slept with hundreds of women. When Fermina and her husband die, this means that he will have to be patient and wait for him to die for a long time. Florentino is finally able to make his move at the funeral of the doctor. If you want to know what happens next, you'll have to find out for yourself

Oblivion by Héctor Abad Faciolince

If you decide to read this book, you'll want to make sure that tissues are close at hand. Heartbreaking: Oblivion is about a boy and his love and admiration for his father, which makes it hard to read at times. The author tells the story of his father, Héctor Abad Gómez, who was a doctor and a left-wing activist in Colombia. He was killed by paramilitaries in 1987. Abad paints a vivid picture of his father's strength and conviction. In addition, he says that this memoir is a way for him to keep his father's memory alive before he is forgotten (called "oblivion").

The Armies by Evelio Rosero

He is Ismael, a retired Colombian schoolteacher who lives in a small town. The Armies is told from his point of view. All of this comes to an abrupt halt when army forces enter the village. The book starts with descriptions of beautiful country days. In the next chapter, chaos breaks out, and Ismael's wife goes missing. The second half of the book is about his search to find her.

Return to the Dark Valley by Santiago Gamboa

Readers meet a poet, a priest, and a diplomat in this dark but interesting story. As we follow their stories, we learn about their lives. In the end, they all come together and go back to Colombia together to make up for some of the things Manuela has been through. The characters aren't sure how long the good times will last, even though they're back in a peaceful country when they get back home. There are parts of this book that are very sad, and you might need to have a thick skin to get through them.

Delirium by Laura Restrepo

It tells the story of Agustina, a beautiful woman who has a breakdown in the movie, Delirium. Her husband, who recently came back to Bogotá, wants to save her. People in Agustina's life, like her husband, ex-lover, and grandfather, talk about her madness and its cause as we learn about her.

Reputations by Juan Gabriel Vásquez

Readers follow Javier Mallarino, a well-known political cartoonist in Bogotá, in Reputations. Mallarino has had a good job for a long time, but now he feels bad about a decision he made a long time ago. The book looks at the past, the reputations of public people, and how memory and truth work together.

Books about living in Colombia

Dancing Feat: One Man’s Mission to Dance Like a Colombian by Neil Bennion

Neil Bennion is an Englishman who wants to learn how to dance like a Colombian in this fun story. So, he goes to Colombia, where he learns new dance moves as he goes on a tour of the country. Finally, he makes a great decision: he will dance in public. This is his biggest fear. For people who want to learn a little more about Colombia and enjoy a good dose of dry humor, this is the book for them.

Colombia a Comedy of Errors by Victoria Kellaway and Sergio J Lievano

This book is filled with humor as it talks about what it means to be Colombian. If you don't know much about Colombia, this is a good place to start. Besides, this book is only 150 pages long, so you could read it quickly on your flight to Colombia. Even though it's written from an anthropological point of view, it also makes you laugh!

Misspelled Paradise: A Year in a Reinvented Colombia by Bryanna Plog

Bryanna Plog spends a year teaching English outside of Cartagena. The title of the movie is "Paradise." She gives an honest account of what it's like to be an expat in modern Colombia. If you're thinking about following in Plog's footsteps, I think this book would be a great help.

Historical fiction about Colombia

Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras

It tells the story of Chula Santiago, a young girl who lives with her family in a gated community in Bogotá. Petrona, the Santiago family's live-in maid, is also in the story. During the 1990s, Chula and Petrona are growing up in Colombia at a time when kidnappings and car bombings were a lot of the time. These two girls come from different sides of the tracks, but they end up becoming friends. In order to protect their loved ones, both will have to make hard decisions that are not easy.

The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez

Antonio Yammara and Ricardo Laverde, who used to be a pilot, become good friends in Bogotá, Colombia. In a drive-by shooting, Antonio saw Ricardo die. Antonio's life has been changed for the rest of his life. Pablo Escobar was the head of the Colombian drug cartels during this time, and Antonio is shown by the book. He has PTSD and is dealing with grief and loss.

Colombiano by Rusty Young

Pedro Gutiérrez was a young boy when he saw his father get killed by Guerrilla soldiers. His life changes after he vows to find all of the people who were involved in his father's death and to make them pay. They then joined an illegal paramilitary group as child soldiers. During this book, readers will see Pedro rise up through the ranks. They will see the conflict between the Colombian army and guerrilla groups, as well as drug lords, at the forefront. Is he going to go all the way?

The Dark Bride by Laura Restrepo

Then we meet Sayonara, a prostitute, who lives and works in a city in the Colombian forest. This story is very interesting. Unable to get what she wants, Sayonara has to deal with the consequences of her love being turned down. Restrepo is a book written in the style of magical realism that talks about how American oil companies treat petroleum workers and the women who serve them.

History of Colombia books

Bolívar: American Liberator by Marie Arana

For anyone who wants to know more about general South American history, they'll need to know the name Simon Bolvar. They even named a country after this great American hero and liberator. In this book, readers will learn about the life of Bolvar and some of his most important achievements, such as leading Venezuela and Colombia to independence.

The Making of Modern Colombia: A Nation in Spite of Itself by David Bushnell

Want to learn about Colombia's history and politics in a simple way? The Making of Modern Colombia is a great book for that! In this informative book, Bushnell will show you that there is more to Colombia than what you saw onNarcos. There is a lot more to the country than what you saw on the show.

At the Devil’s Table: The Untold Story of the Insider Who Brought Down the Cali Cartel by William C. Rempel

To bring down a drug cartel, you have to do a lot of different things. Is this true? If so, then you'll enjoy the inside story of Jorge Salcedo, which is told by investigative journalist William C. Rempel. When the Cali cartel was broken up, Salcedo was very important. He has been living in hiding ever since.

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