Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Para fin de año ya habré leído varias novelas cortas en español. - By the end of the year I will already have read several short novels in Spanish.

Para fin de año = by the end of the year / for the end of the year (deadline / goal)
Por is used more for duration, cause, or general time:
- por tres horas (for three hours)
- por la mañana (in the morning)

So when you want to say by the end of the year, Spanish uses para, not por.

Why is there no article in fin de año? Can I say para el fin de año?

Fin de año is a very common fixed expression meaning something like year’s end or the end of (this/the) year in general. In that set phrase, Spanish normally does not use an article:

para fin de año
hasta fin de año
de fin de año

You can say para el fin del año or para el fin de este año, but it sounds more specific, like you are talking about a particular year that is already clear from context. It also sounds heavier and more formal.

For a general statement or a goal about this year, para fin de año is the most natural.

Is there a difference between fin de año, a fin de año, and al final del año?

All three are related but have different typical uses and nuances:

fin de año
Very common, quite neutral. Refers to the period around the end of the year or simply that point in time:
- Tenemos mucho trabajo de fin de año.
- Para fin de año ya habré leído…
a fin de año
Also means at the end of the year, but is used more in somewhat formal or written language (news, reports, etc.):
- El proyecto estará listo a fin de año.
al final del año
More literal: at the end of the year, focusing on the moment at the end rather than a deadline you must meet by then:
- Nos vemos al final del año. (at that time)

Your sentence uses para fin de año, which highlights a deadline: by that time, this will be completed.

What tense is habré leído, and how is it formed?

Habré leído is the future perfect in Spanish (futuro perfecto or futuro compuesto).

It is formed with:

future of haber
- past participle

For leer:

yo habré leído
tú habrás leído
él/ella/usted habrá leído
nosotros habremos leído
ustedes/ellos habrán leído

So habré leído = I will have read.

When would I use habré leído instead of leeré or he leído?

habré leído (future perfect):
Action completed before a specific point in the future.
- Para fin de año ya habré leído varias novelas cortas.
  By the end of the year, I will already have read…
leeré (simple future):
Just says you will read at some time in the future, without focusing on completion before another future point.
- Leeré varias novelas cortas este año.
  I’ll read several short novels this year.
he leído (present perfect):
Refers to the past up to now: what you have already done at the moment of speaking.
- Este año ya he leído varias novelas cortas.
  This year I’ve already read several short novels.

So with para fin de año, Spanish naturally chooses habré leído because it matches the English idea will have read (by then).

What is the purpose of ya here? Could I leave it out?

Ya adds the idea of “already / by then”, often with a nuance of sooner than expected or by that point, it will be done.

Para fin de año habré leído varias novelas cortas.
Neutral: by that time, I will have read them.
Para fin de año ya habré leído varias novelas cortas.
Emphasizes that by then the reading will already be finished, possibly earlier than someone might think.

You can leave ya out. The sentence is still grammatically correct and logical; you just lose that extra emphasis of already.

Where else can ya go in the sentence, and does the meaning change?

The most natural and common position is exactly as in the example:

Para fin de año ya habré leído varias novelas cortas en español.

Other possible positions:

Ya para fin de año habré leído varias novelas cortas en español.
Slightly more emphasis on ya para fin de año as a block, like already by year’s end.
Para fin de año habré leído ya varias novelas cortas en español.
Also correct, but less common in speech; ya is still already.
Para fin de año habré ya leído varias novelas cortas en español.
Grammatically fine, but sounds more formal or literary.

In all these, ya keeps the same basic meaning (already/by then). The main difference is rhythm and emphasis, not basic content.

Why is varias before novelas cortas? Could I put it after?

Varias here is an indefinite quantifier meaning several. Words like varios/varias, muchos/muchas, pocos/pocas almost always go before the noun:

varias novelas cortas (several short novels)
muchos libros interesantes
pocos estudiantes

If you say novelas varias, it has a different meaning: something like various novels / miscellaneous novels, and it sounds quite formal or literary. And novelas cortas varias would sound odd or forced in everyday Spanish.

So in normal speech, you should say:

varias novelas cortas, not novelas cortas varias.

Is there a difference between novelas cortas and cuentos cortos?

Yes:

novela corta: literally short novel (a novella). Longer and more complex than a short story, but shorter than a typical novel.
cuento corto or just cuento: short story. Usually much shorter and more compact in structure.

So your sentence literally means:

novelas cortas = short novels / novellas in Spanish.

If what you really mean is short stories, many speakers would say:

Para fin de año ya habré leído varios cuentos en español.
Para fin de año ya habré leído varios cuentos cortos en español.

Why is it en español and not en el español?

When you talk about doing something in a language, Spanish normally uses en + language, without the article:

leer en español – read in Spanish
películas en inglés – movies in English
clases en francés – classes in French

You use the article el when the language is the subject of the sentence or being talked about as an object:

El español es difícil. – Spanish is difficult.
Me gusta el español de Argentina. – I like Argentinian Spanish.

In your sentence, español is the language you are reading in, so en español is correct and natural.

Could I replace habré leído with voy a haber leído? Is that used in Latin America?

Yes, voy a haber leído is grammatically correct and is used, including in Latin America, though it sounds a bit heavier.

Para fin de año ya voy a haber leído varias novelas cortas en español.

Meaning: By the end of the year I am going to have read several short novels in Spanish.

In practice:

habré leído is more compact and quite natural, especially in writing or careful speech.
voy a haber leído appears in speech too, but many people will simply say:
- Para fin de año ya habré leído…
  or even
- Para fin de año ya voy a leer varias novelas… (losing the precise “will have read” nuance).

So voy a haber leído is correct but less common than habré leído for this kind of sentence.

Does the whole sentence sound natural in everyday Latin American Spanish?

Yes, it does. Para fin de año ya habré leído varias novelas cortas en español is natural and clear in Latin American Spanish.

In everyday conversation, some people might choose slightly different phrasing, for example:

Para fin de año ya voy a haber leído varias novelas cortas en español.
De aquí a fin de año ya habré leído varias novelas cortas en español.
Antes de que termine el año ya habré leído varias novelas cortas en español.

But your original sentence is absolutely fine, correct, and understandable in normal speech as well as in writing.