5 Spanish books to read this summer

As you move ahead into your learning Spanish, you will eventually feel tempted to dip your feet in the waters of the best Spanish books. This is an unavoidable step and will of course benefit you greatly as you will broaden your vocabulary. 

When you’re reading Spanish novels or short stories, we encourage you not to automatically resort to a dictionary but rather to guess contextually the meaning of words whenever you are exposed to terms never seen before. Do not throw away the dictionary as you may write down words that do draw your attention for further research and even try to make up sentences where you could place them. 

Above all, choose literature that is accessible for you. We will help you navigate some titles that are either easily readable or have been successful to attract readers of languages other than Spanish when translated. We will take Spanish short stories and more complex works which however remain commendable to those who leap into the adventure of reading in a new language.

BEST SPANISH BOOKS:

This is our list of books to read this summer. As you will see, all these books are in Spanish even if some of the authors are from Central and South America. 

FARSA DE AMOR A LA ESPAÑOLA (THE SPANISH LOVE DECEPTION, 2021), BY ELENA ARMAS

 

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Una publicación compartida de elena armas ♡ (@thebibliotheque)

This awarded, recent novel’s title is quite self-descriptive and promises much of a comedy of errors, especially when you get to know its characters, particularly protagonist Catalina Martín, whose urge to find a date for her sister’s wedding drives her to extents of deception that only worsen by the page. Not faithful to our word, this is no easy book to read but it gained overwhelming success in its English translation (going from being a TikTok sensation to being picked by Simon & Schuster to be published as an audiobook). It won the Goodreads Choice Awards in the novel category and was a runner-up in the romance category. 

AURA (1962), BILINGUAL EDITION, BY CARLOS FUENTES 

Are you into mysterious, atmospherically ominous tales? Fantasy with a tinge of horror has become quite a thing over the last years, and that is at the backbone of such a novel as Aura, among the best Spanish books. The novel is -really- short and easy to go throughout as per language (it is completely written in the present tense and contains no wordy fireworks), but, as it turns out with mystery books, you may have the uneasy feeling that much more unseen stuff is just running right under your feet. Spooky, right? The bilingual edition possesses some other perks, like the Spanish and English texts moving forward hand in hand. Your choice: total immersion or translation support, this book allows for either.

LA CIUDAD DE LAS TORMENTAS (2015), BY JESÚS MIGUEL MARTÍNEZ

 

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Una publicación compartida de Planeta de Libros Venezuela (@planetadelibrosve)

This thriller, among the best option of Spanish books, was runner-up for the prestigious Planeta Prize in 2014. The novel looks conceived to and bound for eventually becoming a blockbuster: international political intrigue in the best James Bond’s fashion, a homicide that brings upon inconceivable consequences (like a butterfly’s wing flutter causing a storm on the other side of the world) in a reality where few seem to care, police and institutional rotting to cover up for the unthinkable and, more especially, a language that won’t set any barriers for the reader to move forward swiftly and entertainingly. The author is a psychiatrist who uses his professional background to build characters and show the way they think and behave without too much analysis, but always scanning what drives a hero or a murderer to do what they do.

LA CASA DE LOS ESPÍRITUS (THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS, 1982), BY ISABEL ALLENDE

 

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Una publicación compartida de Vir (@windermerbooks)

Isabel Allende’s debut novel is built over an accessible language, a captivating story of four generations in the Trueba family, some elements taken from a political reality well known to the author (Isabel Allende is a niece of former Chilean President Salvador Allende, who was overthrown by Augusto Pinochet in 1973, prompting Isabel Allende to go into exile) and, especially, magical realism in the shape of a character with paranormal powers. “La casa de los espíritus” is widely acknowledged by institutions such as the International Baccalaureate as material to use in the teaching of Spanish. Furthermore, the book was adapted into a movie with a cast comprising major Hollywood stars like Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, and Winona Ryder; some info has it that a new version will be soon produced as a television show by Hulu, and it is expected Isabel Allende’s participation in this production as executive producer.

ÓSCAR Y LAS MUJERES (2013) BY SANTIAGO RONCAGLIOLO

 

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Una publicación compartida de Victor Iván López Espiritu Santo (@victorlesp)

This book has it all: the humorous adventures of Óscar, a Miami washed-up, eccentric telenovelas (soap operas) writer, in his journey to regaining his own humanity while trying to get back the lost success of his prime at the time he makes amends with his own child and learns that life can be brighter than he thinks. Initially, Óscar is pathetic, self-absorbed, afraid of the hazards from the environment (primarily microbial organisms). One interesting thing is how Oscar’s work becomes a reflection of his own life, and how the soap operas he writes, also, have the reverse effect on his own life. You won’t be able to deny this book is hilarious and, most importantly, comes in clear prose, so we consider it one of the best Spanish books you can read if you are learning Spanish. It was awarded by the Spanish publishing house Alfaguara.

There are so many other examples, but for now let us be content with 5 books. Hopefully, reading in Spanish will become a journey of discovery and self-discovery.