I'd go along with dohagirl's suggestions and I'd add Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, The Constant Gardener by John le Carre and The Shadow of the Wind by a Spanish author whose name eludes me, but if you want non-fiction you should try Bill Bryson's travel books or "A Short History of Nearly Everything" which is absolutely brilliant.