10 Best Spanish-Language Books to Broaden Your Perspective
Great reads for native speakers and language learners.
We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.
For those of us who speak English as our primary language, English-language books, movies and even music probably makes up most of our media diet, and it's easy to assume that's the best of what entertainment has to offer. But there's a wealth of pleasure available in languages other than English that's as beautifully diverse as the United States itself.
The makeup of our country's demographics show that a lot of people get left out of the conversation if we're only holding it in English. The Hispanic and Latinx population in the U.S. is 18.9%, according to the most recent Census data, and more than 30 million people ages 5 and older speak Spanish. Those numbers are only projected to rise, so there's real demand for Spanish language books and entertainment such as movies, in general. For people who want to read books in their native Spanish, or practice their language skills in a fun and immersive way, below are some of the best Spanish-language books to explore.
If you're picking up a novel to improve your Spanish skills, here are a few tips for success:
- Don't look up every word you don't know. Reaching for the dictionary every few sentences is a real drag. Instead, see if you can use context clues to decipher new vocabulary.
- Choose topics you enjoy. After all, this is supposed to be more fun than traditional language learning classes!
- Give it time. You didn't learn your primary language overnight, did you? Take it slow, be patient with yourself, and you'll be a fluent Spanish reader in no time. And if your brain needs a break, check out some of our favorite books by Hispanic and Latinx authors written in English next.
Miguel de Cervantes Don Quijote de la Mancha
This commemorative edition of the classic story follows the misadventures of an offbeat knight and his sidekick Sancho. It's been translated into more than 60 languages and Dostoyevsky called it, "The final and greatest utterance of the human mind," so what more can we say?
You may know this masterpiece by its English name, 100 Years of Solitude, but the sweeping intergenerational story is worth a read in any language. It's both fantastical and grippingly real, following the Buendia family through time and turmoil.
This romantic thriller follows an investigation int a tangle of strange events after a man is found walking around naked with a decapitated woman's head. It's twisty, fast-paced and has been compared to the likes of Stephen King, García Márquez and George Orwell.
If you aren't familiar with the deeply romantic and vividly visual poetry of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, consider this your heads up. His poetry is so widely known, both his persona and his most famous lines appear elsewhere in pop culture, not to mention the occasional pick-up line.
From the great Chilean writer, we meet the proud but volatile Esteban whose political ambitions are only matched by his love for his wife Clara, who communes with the spirit world. When their daughter has an illicit affair, she gives them their granddaughter Alba, an unexpected gift for them all.
In a series of vignettes, we get to know Esperanza Cordero as she grows up in Chicago. The young Latina girl encounters heartbreak, triumph and lots of self-discovery as she learns about the world and her place within it.
A classic love story that's been made into an award-winning film, this tale follows Tita from her birth through her journey with food as a way of life on to her destiny as a master chef. It's got romance, intrigue and even recipes to tickle your imagination and your taste buds. (So grab a snack first).
A love story by a Nobel Prize for Literature winner, this stirring tale follows a conference interpreter all over the globe, from Peru to Paris to London and even Tokyo. Along the way, we hear about the HIV/AIDs crisis, the Bohemian revival in Paris and political unrest in Peru.
A play that meditates on feminism, repression and post-war Spain, this story of a household of women in mourning after the death of their patriarch is a classic. It's said to be a metaphor for society after the Spanish Civil War, as well as the author's premonition of his own passing.
In this innovative novel about an Argentinian man's life split between Paris and Buenos Aires in the 1950's, you can "hopscotch" between chapters or power straight through like a traditional novel. It's an offbeat, refreshing take on storytelling.
'Sullivan's Crossing' Reveals Major Streaming News
Where to Watch 'Sullivan's Crossing' in the U.S.
'Wicked: For Good' Drops First Look at the Sequel
Is Jenna Bush Hager Leaving the ’Today’ Show?
