Gabriel García Márquez's 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' is also a great piece of Spanish fiction. It tells the multi - generational story of the Buendía family in the fictional town of Macondo, filled with magic realism elements like flying carpets and characters who live for a very long time.
One benefit is improved pronunciation. By listening and reading along, you can mimic the correct sounds. Also, it helps with vocabulary building as you encounter new words in context. And it can enhance your comprehension skills.
As I mentioned before, 'Leer un cuento' is a common way. But in some regions, people might also use 'Leer una narración' which also means 'to read a story' but is a bit more formal.
You can start by finding a beginner - level Spanish storybook. Look for ones with simple grammar and vocabulary. Then, try to read it slowly, sounding out each word. You can also use a Spanish - English dictionary to look up words you don't know.
You can try looking on Spanish-language literature websites. Some popular ones are Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes and Leer.es. They have a wide range of stories for you to choose from.
Some are free. For example, on Project Gutenberg, as I mentioned before, many classic Spanish novels are free because they are out of copyright. You can just download them and start reading.
Start by learning basic Spanish grammar and vocabulary. Then, look for novels with simple language and gradually progress to more complex ones. Reading aloud can also help improve pronunciation and comprehension.