Over the years, I've accumulated a number (probably too many) of aids to fluency in intermediate or intermediate-advanced Spanish. Lately, I've made a run of trying the $2 or $3 Kindle ebooks, looking for a one that's worthwhile.
I've sorted my bookshelves and Kindle to provide a list here. It's idiosyncratic to me, so my remarks of [Paper] or [Kindle] refer to what I've personally accumulated.
Pricing in blue, where available. My listing might not be complete.
Ebooks that I have in green; other ebooks listed if a price exists.
Audible audio listed in red. Sadly, none seem to have built-in Kindle App Audio with one exception: Koslovski's book, which is 95% in English.
Recommendations in each category listed with [***] but these may be among equals.
Fixing Blunders
90% written in English, it explains a couple hundred false friends or other words that are puzzling to English speakers. $15 new, $9.99 kindle.
Correct Your Spanish Blunders. Jean Yates, McGraw. [Paper, 320p pp.]
Subtitled, "How to avoid 99% of the common mistakes." Organized by major topics (nouns, verbs]. 2nd ed. available. $16 new, $9.99 kindle.
1001 Pitfalls in Spanish. Marion Holt, Barron's. [Paper, 251pp].
Just like it sounds. Describes all major points of grammar and then slides into a discussion of its major pitfalls for English speakers. $10 new, $12 kindle.
[***] Either Kozlovsky or Jimenzez is recommended and very cheap, if you don't have one of the more expensive versions above. [$1-$3]:
Understanding Spanish Conversation. Kozlovsky [Ebook]. [Can Get Built in Kindle Audio]
Not really "conversation." This is actually a "problem words" handbook. Alphabetical by word. Nice. Inexpensive. Has audiobook that is built-in-to-Kindle (it almost sounds like an auto-reader) but since it's 95% in English not too helpful. $7 paperback, $3 kindle.
Spanish: The Most Effective Way to Learn and Improve Your Spanish Language, Vocabulary, Writing Skills. Alejandro Jimenez. [Ebook].
Similar to Kozlovsky, above, 95% in English and explains common problems and errors in Spanish. $11 paperback, $1 kindle.
Learn Spanish, Avoid 100 Plus Gringo Mistakes. Patrick Jackson. [Ebook]
Budget guide to Spanish blunders. $3 kindle. I did not find this one useful. Lengthy personal stories by the author and inclusion of some very obscure errors.
Learning Intermediate Spanish
Using Spanish, A Guide to Contemporary Usage. RE Batchelor, Cambridge. [Paper, 310pp]
30 chapters cover pretty advanced rules and exceptions for reflexives, ser/estar, and a couple dozen other familiar problems for the English-speaking learner. $30 paperback, $37 kindle.
Improve Your Spanish, Teach-Yourself [Paper, 220pp.] [Audio probably available].
12 chapters including dialogs and readings thematically organized and also covering familiar grammar topics [eg ser/estar, subjunctive, etc.] Some dialogs are organized around useful activities such as checking into a hotel. Various editions, some with CD, used, etc.
Further Spanish: An Advanced Course. Teach-Yourself [Paper, 210pp].
Similar in design to Improve-Your-Spanish by Teach-Yourself, but a different book. Inexplicably a collectible; used, $71.
Ultimate Spanish, Advanced. Living Language. [Paper, 365 pp]. [Audio no doubt available somewhere.]
Mostly dialogs and translations, with about 20% of space devoted to didactic discussions of grammar points. Paperback $25, CD course $450.
AMIGOS (A Pair of Books)
This book pair is pretty similar. "Among Amigos Phrasebook" is a little bit more introductory for the earlier student, but not by too much.
[***]
Spanish Among Amigos - Phrasebook. Nuria Agullo', McGraw-Hill. [Paper and Ebook]
Dialogs followed by lots of short sections that are topical and vocabulary-oriented.
Includes an emphasis on common, colloquial use. $9 paper, $10 kindle.
Note to self: I have this one in paper & ebook.
Spanish Among Amigos - Conversations for Spanish Beyond the Classroom. Nuria Agullo', McGraw-Hill. [Paper and Ebook]
Same idea but a bit higher language; this one was published first. The title makes clear it wants to bring you into real-world (teen/millenial) conversational situations and daily language. $17 paper, $10 kindle.
Another conversational trainer from McGraw Hill, but without the "Amigos" logo:
Spanish Conversation, Premium 2nd Edition, Jean Yates, McGraw Hill. Ebook, and Separate Audio App Free.
Audio is available via a free special McGraw Hill app, which is good, but it downloads the audio on the fly and can be quirky slow. $11 paperback, $10 kindle.
Warning: The three McGraw-Hill books above all use "pictures" in the Kindle version where there were tables in the original text. This is a pain and very awkward if reading on an iPhone.
For lots of dialog and conversation, see also Gritty Spanish, below.
Early Intermediate Readers
These would be good practice and reading experience for a second-year high school student of Spanish who wants reading experience and a graduated challenge.
Dialogos Simpaticos. "A reader for beginning students." McGraw/Glencoe. [Paper, 150pp.]
Entertaining conversational dialogs. Includes Q&A whether you understood each dialog and includes dictionary in back. Does not discuss grammar. Love this book, hard to find. $11 used. [Do not confuse with identical Italian title].
[***]
Cuentitos Simpaticos. "Graded reader for advanced beginning students." NTC (National Textbook, 171pp.]
Similar to the above, but short stories rather than dialog format. includes dictionary in back. Each story is about two pages of text. A few comprehension Q&A are provided for each, with more elaborate exercises (fill in blank) in back. Really too bad it's hard to find. Used $20 etc.
[***]
Easy Spanish Short Novels: Volume 5: Sherlock Holmes. [Paper, 117 pp].
This is at least late 2nd-year-high-school Spanish and pretty good. Unusual words and phrases are glossed in bold and explaining at the end of each short chapter. Too bad there doesn't seem to be audio available. Private press called ESLC Easy Spanish Language Center. Be sure you look for the volume 5. $9 paper, $3 kindle.
Easy Spanish Reader. Premium 3rd Edition. McGraw [paper, 200pp.]
I would like to like this but the stories are pretty dull. There is a long series about Enrique and Maria get acquainted in school, following by a long series of chapters on Mexican history (Cortez, etc).
Not recommended. $12 paper, $8 kindle. Available with CD.
? might have be included in the McGraw-Hill special audio app...
Spanish Short Stories for Intermediate Learners. Olly Richards. [Ebook]. [Audible Book].
About ten short stories, each broken into shorter chapters.
Real-world stuff, like three guys try to get past a bouncer into a cool nightclub.
Definitely intermediate level spanish and lots of colloquial language.
[***] See also:Spanish Short Stories for Beginners. Olly Richards. [Ebook].Simpler version of the above. Both books by Olly Richards about $15 paper, $3 kindle, $5 Audible....but not integrated as ebook/eaudio.Richards also has versions in Italian and German.
Gritty Spanish Beginnings. 32 Fun, short stories. Eldon Mirjah, Gritty Language LLC. $3 kindle. [Audio available but $30]
This is lively short stories featuring millenials and presented in alternating English and Spanish sentences or paragraphs. Each dialog is followed by a blow-by-blow description of words and grammar.
The Kindle version is sort of a giveaway to take to their website for a $30-40 audio sale ( https://www.grittyspanish.com/ ) That's a big jump in price from the Kindle ebook, but you get 32 dialog PDFs (replicating the eBook you already have but more colorful and nicely formatted) and each of the 32, 2 minute dialogs is available in three alternatives (1) just dialog, (2) dialog & sound effects, (3) slow spoken Spanish. It's too bad a version totally integrated with Kindle book and Kindle audio (page by page) isn't available.
La Novia, Deb Navarre. [Ebook].
I read a number of chapters of this novela with my daughter in second-year high school spanish. (She read aloud). Several friends hang out in a city, one boy is shy but has a crush on one girl. Kindle $5.
Pilar en la Playa Madelene Etter. [Ebook].
Similar in level to La Novia. Might be introduced even early in 2nd year high school. Kindle $3, Audible $4. I think the audible is not integrated into the Kindle app.
[***] Recommended as as simple reader/novela with audio, even though it's not the most interesting topic to me. Also, as occurs with some other story listings, the narrator is a woman speaking in a cloying, sugary sing-song voice, like a 2nd grade teacher who thinks she's talking to 4 year olds.
Learn Spanish by Telling Stories. John Del Guadio. [Ebook].
Not recommended. He gives a number of stories like Cinderella in Spanish and then in English. He recommends you read the Spanish, then keep practicing until you can re-create the Spanish story with reference only to the English one. I don't know why he picked dull stories like Cinderella; not great for colloquial conversation. He also recommends memorizing as many passages in Spanish as possible to train your brain. I don't disagree this would be effective - he calls it Spanish "the hard way, that works incredibly effectively." But it's probably not what you're looking for. $3 Kindle, also $4 audible. The author has a popular ebook, "How to become fluent in Spanish," $3, 155 reviews.
New Penguin Parallel Text: Short Stories in Spanish. [Paper; 200 pp.]
Classic page-by-page parallel text in English/Spanish. A range of adult short stories, including by famous authors like Carlos Fuentes and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Paper only. $12.
More Like Dictionaries
Spanish Travel Phrases for English Speakers. Sarah Retter. [Ebook, Inexpensive]
This is a good budget handbook of travel phrases by topic. Classic material, budget format. $9 paper, $5 kindle.
- A note about Apps.
- Note another approach to a travel phrase Ebook is an iPhone app for travel Spanish and/or for menus. There are many choices, some free, some $2-3.
- Ebook is better for studying before you land.
- On my phone I have "Menu Del Dia" app for Spanish menus and a hotlink/shortcut to Time Out Barcelona for English movies, etc.
- There are any number of Barcelona or Madrid city apps, I don't recommend one. Look for good reviews.
- I do recommend the incredible maps.me app for both city locations and for cross-country drives in Europe, where you likely don't have the broadband data you have in the US but you still have GPS for free.
Cassell's Colloquial Spanish [Paper, 280pp]
Dictionary format with maybe 1800 entries. Includes some trivial words (e.g. gondola - includes the Venetian water taxi but also a Chilean word for "bus.") May be out of print, but used copies as low as $2.
Spanish Visual Language Guide. Barron's. [Paper, 250pp]
This sounds like one of those all-visual dictionaries. Actually, it is part a language traveler's handbook (the doctor, the hotel, etc) and also includes a number of picture-pages (e.g. double picture pages totally about 20 pages of kinds of foods). Includes a bilingual dictionary in the back. $13 paperback.
Mastering Spanish Vocabulary. Jose Navarro, Barron's. [ Paper, 400pp]
This covers several thousand words in 24 categories, organizing related words together and almost always providing a full sentence that is illustrative of use and helps in memory. In a two column format with Spanish left and English right. $13 paperback.
Banco. Los bancos son abiertos.
Bank. The banks are open.
Spanish Verbs Simple(r). David Brodsky, Texas. [Paper, 270pp]
This covers "all about verbs" (including basic rules, tenses, exceptions, subjunctive, etc) with lots of short examples. $15 paper, $14 kindle.
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Summary
Over 30 years I've accumulated over a foot of paperbacks on "improve your beginning Spanish" or "become fluent in intermediate Spanish."
Is it too many? Yeah, probably. I listed 16 paper books and 12 ebooks. On the other hand, 40 years after having high school Spanish in Iowa, I can read a Spanish newspaper during breakfast in Barcelona, easily read all signage including museums, and more-or-less make myself understood with my 1000 or 1500 words on most general topics. So one way or another I've kept up sort-of-intermediate Spanish for 40 years now, without ever living in a Spanish-speaking country.
It's nice having the profusion of self published $1-3 ebooks so you can test them out for minimal investment - LTSM, Less than Starbucks Money.
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A much shorter column on Italian, here.
