Recommended Reading for Learners of French, Spanish, and German
You can choose books based on language, subject matter, and/or reading level. To determine the reading level, as usual, we’ll refer to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Don’t forget – learning a language has to be fun, so choose books that you really enjoy, and I assure you that you’ll make enormous progress without even realizing it.
Just think of how great it will feel to finish reading your first foreign-language book!!
For true beginners
So, you barely know any of your target language? That’s okay! You can still practice reading – just start with children’s books. In fact, lots of children’s books are fun and enjoyable to read, even for adults. In addition, there are illustrations to assist comprehension. Here is a great website for reading children’s books that are available online for free:
This site has thousands of children’s books in every language! And, best of all, it’s free!
Comics
Luca and I are huge fans of comics. Like children’s books, comics are a great way to learn a language. There are all sorts of comics: for children, for adults, and all types of genres. The most well-known comics have been translated into many languages. For example, I’ve reread the entire Tintin collection in Spanish, and it’s also easy to find Black & Mortimer, Largo Winch, XII, etc. (also accessible through peer2peer downloads, but that’s illegal).
You can view selections of comic books in foreign languages on Amazon.
Educational or self-help books
Educational or self-help books make it possible for you to kill two birds with one stone: learn about a topic that interests you while improving your target language skills. If you’re passionate about something, why not learn about it by reading a book? For example, because I’m a software developer, I read a ton of English texts on the subject. I also read lots of books on language-learning methodology and memorization.
Look up topics that interest you and that may be useful to your professional life (e.g. technology, management, marketing, economics, etc.) or for personal development (self-help).
The other advantage of these books compared to novels is that they are easier to read. The writing style is simpler, and the vocabulary is limited to the subject field (less vast than in novels). In addition, you will have double the motivation to read these books because you will be improving in two areas at once.
Books that have been adapted for film
I also recommend that you check out books that have been adapted into films. First, you can watch the movie using our method, then start reading the book. This will make the reading easier because you already know the story.
Here is a list of books that have been adapted to film for French.
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Our Selection of Book Recommendations, Organized by Level and by Language
Here is our selection of great books (organized by language and by level) that you will enjoy reading and that will help you make significant progress in your target language.
French Recommendations
A1 Level
À la recherche de l’ami disparu (Maureen Simpson)
Le Capitaine Fracasse (Théophile Gautier)
A2 Level
Candide (Voltaire)
Bel-Ami (Guy de Maupassant)
B1 Level
Vingt Mille Lieues sous les mers (Jules Verne)
Le Comte de Monte-Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
B2 Level
Les Misérables (Victor Hugo)
Madame Bovary (Gustave Flaubert)
Spanish Recommendations
A1-A2 Level
Lazarillo de Tormes
Asesinato en la Mansion (Susana González Orozco)
B1 Level
La Tia Tula (Miguel de Unamuno)
La Celestina (Fernando de Rojas)
B2 Level
Una otra historia de amor Como Cualquiera (Lucia Etxebarria)
Los hijos de la Luz (César Vidal)
German Recommendations
A1-A2 Level
Generation Y (Felix Farwick)
Der Verzicht. Drei Erzählunge (Joseph Roth)
B1 Level
Die Leiden des Jungen Werther (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
Unterm Birnbaum (Theodor Fontane)
Read the free, online version.
B2 Level
Bref une Vate den (Franz Kafka)
Das Fräulein von Scuder (Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann)
Where can you find the best books to read?
- Hoepli: Reading Series with graded readers in English, French, Spanish, and German
- Giant, online bookstores (Amazon, etc.) always have tons of books in foreign languages
- Eli – Graded Readers: organized by level and by age (English, French, Spanish, and German)
- Cidib – Graded Readers: under the heading “Easyreads,” books are organized by the readers’ age (English, French, Spanish, German)
We’ve developed this list as we’ve come across these books and from your suggestions, so thank you in advance for sharing your favorite reads with us here!
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