What makes a book right for a beginner
A book is right for you when you can read on without a dictionary. Research on second-language reading puts that at about 95 to 98 known words out of 100.
So ask how many of its words you know, not whether the cover says “for beginners”.
Find your level in words
In novel.you a level is a number of Spanish words:
- Beginner (A1) — from about 400 words.
- Elementary (A2) — from about 1,200 words.
- Intermediate (B1) — from about 2,600 words.
Not sure? A short word test in the quiz finds your number, and every word of your book is checked against it.
Two first chapters to try
A fantasy for Beginner (A1) and a romance for Elementary (A2). Pick the one you can read without stopping.
La última ventana
A las doce de la noche la ciudad se queda sin luz. Todas las luces se van de golpe. Solo una ventana queda con luz: la de Marina.
En la ventana hay una carta luminosa. Su sello es de oro. En la carta hay una sola palabra: Marina.
Una pregunta en la mesa
El café estaba casi desierto. Marina tomaba un café junto a la ventana y miraba caer la tarde sobre la ciudad.
El mesero le trajo un papel a la mesa. —De parte de la persona de verde —dijo. Y ahí estaba, en azul: «Marina, ¿mañana a la misma hora?»
Spanish graded readers or a book written for you
Books to learn Spanish by reading come in two kinds:
- Graded readers — written by an author for one level of a publisher’s word list. Every reader of that level gets the same book.
- A novel.you book — written by AI for one reader. It follows your words and makes you the hero.
If you want a known author, choose a graded reader. If you want a book that fits your words, try one chapter here.
Choose the Spanish you will use
Read the Spanish of the people you will talk to: vos in Buenos Aires, móvil in Madrid, celular in Mexico City. Your choice sets the words and the city for the whole book.
Each page below opens the quiz with a sample at Beginner (A1) or Elementary (A2). For more levels, see Spanish short stories.
Sample pages to start from
What it costs to try
Nothing. Chapter 1 of your book is free, with no sign-up and no card. To keep reading, you sign in, and your book stays in your account.
Plans for the rest of your books are on the pricing page.
novel.you is made by one person in London. You can read more on the about page.