read a book in German (Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen OR Herr der Diebe)

good idea! I have taken german in school (first compulsory, now by choice) for 5 years now, and I’ve had to read 2 novels – “wer kommt das saltz im see” & “Der Verwandlung” by Franz Kafka (along with some of his short stories). It wasn’t easy – especially since it’s all expressionism and surrealism and rather old style…
so, I think HP is going to be a very good idea; it was the first book (of over a 100 pages) I read in English, only fair it should be the first one in German as well :)