I'm thinking about improving upon my Spanish by reading a book in Spanish. Any recommendations? I took Spanish all through high school (including AP Spanish, earning a 5 on the test), but never really use it other than occasionally at my retail job with a customer or ordering at a Mexican restaurant. I live in the SF Bay Area, so knowing a little Spanish can go a long way.

So, like my headline says, I'm thinking of reading a book in Spanish with a Spanish-English dictionary and verb guide by my side. A few years back a friend gave me a Spanish-language copy of A Hundred Years of Solitude as a gift, but from what I understand, that's probably the WORST book to use for this endeavor. I was thinking about reading some Isabel Allende, mostly because I've already read English translations of House of Spirits and Paula.

Any thoughts?