Depends on what you like. ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’ + ‘The Hobbit’ got me started, but not everybody likes that stuff.

‘The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’ would probably be a nice read if you enjoy some good old English humour. Same goes for ‘Three Men in a Boat’.

If you are more into adventure, start with ‘The Three Musketeers’ and take it from there.

A lot of people are in love with ‘Shogun’ by Clavell (I think) as it describes the Japanese society of a few hunderd years ago down the last slimy detail, but it is a ridiculously long book.

The one thing you should not do (in my opinion) is to start with a really heavy book. Steinbeck, Eco, Vonnegut, Victor Hugo, Tolstoy and Joyce are all great writers, but starting with their books – which are generally heavy – might ruin your appetite for literature. Save these guys for later.

After all it is down to your personality and you should start with whatever inspires you best in the ‘Fiction’ section of your local bookstore.