While some resolutions are just downright unrealistic — who really wants to watch less Netflix? — others can pose the best of challenges. If you're already looking for one to tackle this year, consider this list of classic novels to read in Spanish in the next 52 weeks (that's one book per week for the next year). This plan will lead you to explore new worlds, learn more about the most influential Latin-American and Spanish writers, and, of course, practice the language. Look ahead for your must-read list, and go all the way to the end for a Pinterest-ready list of all 52 books!
In Cien Años de Soledad, the reader is carried through generations of family history and how they, and the world, are all interconnected.
A unique copy of a book by writer Julian Carax leads the protagonist of Zafón's novel to discover an unknown new world in 1945's Spain in La Sombra del Viento.
In a collection of some of his most noteworthy essays, El Aleph sits center stage as it speaks on a world where all universes and time overlap.
García Márquez weaves together the stories of various characters as a way to showcase how Latinos lived in Europe in the '70s and '80s in Doce Cuentos Peregrinos.
Allende tells the story of two lovers who saved each other in De Amor y de Sombra.
El Laberinto de las Aceitunas follows the story of an amateur detective.
La Tregua follows the story of an older man as he discovers new aspects to his life after retirement.
Cienfuegos follows the title character as he unexpectedly finds himself aboard a ship with Christopher Columbus.
Inés del Alma Mía tells the story of Ines's life, including her romance with Pedro de Valdivia, a Spanish conquistador.
La Sonrisa Etrusca tells the story of a farmer who in his old age finds both extreme passion and devoted love.
Novelas Ejemplares is made up of 12 of Cervantes's best essays.
En el Tiempo de las Mariposas follows the story of three women, the Mirabel sisters, as they voyage to find their husbands who have been imprisoned by the Dominican government, all the while inciting a revolution.
Esquivel tells the story of Tita, whose beginnings led her to lead a life full of spice as a master chef in Como Agua Para Chocolate.
Mendoza shares Barcelona through the eyes of Onofre Bouvila in La Ciudad de los Prodigios.
Tiempo de Silencio depicts the life events that occur after a doctor ends up killing a woman he intended to help.
The female lead in El Tiempo Entre Costuras turns her world around by taking on the fashion world and then becoming a spy.
The protagonists of Los Aires Difíciles move miles away from Madrid in order to try to reframe their lives after personal challenges.
The Trueba family plays center stage in the unfolding of Allende's first novel, La Casa de los Espíritus. With each generation that is depicted, the reader learns more about the family and the current state of the world they are living in.
In Niebla, de Unamuno tells the story of Augusto's persistent attempts to win over Eugenia's love.
Cervantes takes you through the journey of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza's adventures in the ultimate classic Don Quijote de la Mancha.
Four stories that all focus on failure intertwine in Méndez's Los Girasoles Ciegos.
Throughout Cinco Esquinas, the reader finds how deeply different members of society can be affected by sensationalism. The book kicks off with how a journalist himself is affected.
Delibes tells the story of a lost village through the experiences of five distinct characters in Las Ratas.
Un Mundo Para Julius tells the story of a wealthy child and his family's decline.
Through Retrato en Sepia, Allende goes on to create a memoir for Aurora, who has lost her memory at the beginning of the book.
Relato de un Náufrago serves as García Márquez's first dabble into the power of storytelling as he shares the story of a man lost at sea.
Pedro Páramo follows the story of Juan Preciado as he keeps his word on his mother's final wish and returns to her native village. As the story develops, the reader finds that both Juan and the village itself play main characters.
Saramago's Ensayo Sobre la Ceguera focuses on a community that's affected by widespread blindness and the aftereffects of such a plague.
In Dime Quién Soy, a journalist goes on a journey to uncover the history of his great grandmother and lands in an adventure as a result.
One of Calderón de la Barca's most famous plays, La Vida Es Sueño focuses on the topics of destiny, existence, and free will, all through the story of a king who is suspicious of his son leading a revolution.
Yerma is a play that focuses on a woman's journey to become a mother.
La Sombra del Águila zeroes in on what it means to go to war.
En Busca del Unicornio describes an adventure commissioned by the king to find a unicorn's horn.
One of Cortázar's most acclaimed novels, Rayuela follows Horacio Oliveira as he changes his ways after a sudden death and the disappearance of his partner.
The history of Eva Perón's life is told through Martínez's perspective in Santa Evita.
The play La Casa de Bernarda Alba centers on a group of women from a village in Spain and their shared interest of a man.
Crónica de una Muerte Anunciada examines whether individuals in society have a responsibility to each other by telling the story of how an entire community was privy to an impending murder but still did little to stop it.
Romancero Gitano is a collection of poems that explores the idea of love in nuanced ways.
In Marías's novel Todas las Almas, a professor tells the story of his time teaching and all the moving parts that come with it.
While this book wasn't originally written in Spanish, El Principito is a must read because of its strong, moral-driven narrative.
Vargas Llosa explores socioeconomic standing and the role class plays in society through the stories of two groups and how they interact with the world within the same town in La Ciudad y los Perros.
El Hereje's protagonist is born the same year that Martin Luther has nailed his "95 Theses" to the door and foreshadows how his life will unfold.
A drama that takes us through the "why" behind a man, a murder, and the internal battle that led him to do it, El Túnel is a must read.
The play Luces de Bohemia tells the story of the literary world during the Restoration.
Together with Oscar, the title character delves into a dark past in the haunting tale Marina.
Historia de la Vida del Buscón follows the life of a boy as he makes his way to America.
Paula focuses on the story of Allende's daughter's time in the hospital, as told by Allende herself.
Santiago is the protagonist of Coelho's novel El Alquimista and the reader follows his journey as he goes looking for a treasure and finds lessons instead.
El Amor en los Tiempos del Cólera tells the story of Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza, whose love story may get a second chance.
La noche de los Tiempos tells the story of a man and his unrequited love the year before the civil war falls upon Spain.
Ficciones, a collection of short stories, is one of Borges's greatest works as he spins tall tales that focus on some of life's biggest questions.
Two stories unfold in La Fiesta del Chivo — the first is of personal nature and the second tells the story of the Santo Domingo.