For someone who doesn’t read much (as the OP says) these are the two perfect books. They’re certainly the two that popped into my mind. Easy to read, engaging, intelligent and leave you wanting more.
And I also thought of the Count of Monte Cristo but it’s a bit mroe advanced methinks.
I think there are three or four modern novels that stand out far beyond the rest, but the one I’d choose for someone who hasn’t done a lot of reading would be The Sot-Weed Factor by John Barth. It’s as close to the Great American Novel as anyone has come – funny, entertaining, and amazingly accurate historically (there really was an Ebeneezer Cooke and “The Sot-Weed Factor” does exist – as does the secret of the sacred eggplant 
)
Catch-22 is a fine second choice.
The Great Gatsby and The Catcher In The Rye.
The only one I thought of that hasn’t been posted yet is the Hitchhiker’s series.
Great fun, and quick:
Richard Brautigan’s “Trout Fishing in America” and “A Confederate General from Big Sur”.
Douglas Adams’ “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”
(Slightly) heavier:
Any Sherlock Holmes.
andyman, you just said that, didn’t you? Sorry.
All the above are good, but I wouldn’t suggest Lord of the Rings, actually. I’m a fairly sophisticated reader, yet I’ve never been able to slog my way through Tolkien, except The Hobbit. I’m working my way up to a third try, soon, though.
Suggestions:
Alias Grace, by Margaret Atwood
Deja Dead, by Kathy Reichs
(This exercise is harder than I thought; I have almost a thousand books, yet can’t come up with suggestions!)
Good Omens, by Pratchett and Gaiman
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
Non-fiction: Diane Ackerman’s A Natural History of the Senses.
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. It’s very easy to read, but is an exceptionally well-written book that might help ease her into reading.
Chinua Achebe–Things Fall Apart
The Alienist by Carr
or Worlds Fair by Doctorow
Nobody has mentioned Atlas Shrugged. Oh, scratch that, you want her to enjoy reading.
I’ll second Stranger in A Strange Land. Lord of The Flies would be good also.
I’ll second hypergirl’s recommendation of The Phantom Tollbooth. Probably my favorite book of all time, and the theme is perfect for someone who is just starting to explore.
I’ll also suggest Now and Again by Jack Finney. It is a mystery/science fiction/historical/romance novel. Just a great read all around.
And the Harry Potters are wonderful. They are credited with getting so many people into reading. I think that this is because they put you into “can’t put it down mode,” and maybe that is the first time people have experienced that.
So-called “young adult” books are a terrific place to start. So many of them are fun to read and are definitely “classics.” Recently I was feeling a bit uninterested in reading (a very new sensation) so I went and re-read a whole bunch of stuff from my childhood, and I read all the Roald Dahl books that I hadn’t read yet. (Just loved Matilda) That did the trick, and I am back to my old bookworm ways.
Everyone else’s suggestions are great. I notice, though, that they are mostly fiction suggestions. Perhaps your friend would also like to read non-fiction stuff, too. I don’t read much fiction, myself.
p.s. IIRC, Mists of Avalon was written by Marion Zimmer Bradley, not Anne McCaffrey. Haven’t read it yet, but it’s supposed to be fascinating–it’s “on my list.”
p.p.s. The “Oprah books” are an interesting lot. They tend to be a bit depressing and/or difficult, so I would not recommend them for a “beginner,” but if you are looking for a reading list of quality contemporary fiction, Oprah’s put together a heckuva list.
p.p.s. I work in the biggest secondhand bookstore in New Jersey. If I can be of any further assistance, please email me.
D’oh!! Of course.
I read The Mists of Avalon in an Arthurian Legend class, and was disappointed. I suppose I might have liked it if I’d read it earlier, but I loved TH White’s The Once and Future King, and unfortunately the two books are incompatable in both “facts” (I use the term loosely) and ideology.
Just felt the need to say that…
I recommend A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. This book is my most favorite. I think many people write if off as a young girl’s book, but I read it when I was 15 and it changed my life. It is an easy read, but there is so much beauty and meaning in it. It’s never preachy or condescending, it’s just a story about a girl growing up and the lessons she learns. She’s born into poverty in Brooklyn at the turn of the century. I started reading it on a Sunday and stayed home from school Monday to read it. I have given away at least 8 or 9 copies - I wish it would be mandatory in middle school - the world would benefit from this book. Sadly, few people have read it, though it was hugely controversial and popular in the 1940’s when it was first released.
Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/006092988X/qid=974431777/sr=1-1/102-1878524-1691368
Also, “Where the Heart Is” by Billie Letts is pretty simple, but a good read with memorable characters and a beautiful climax.
“Memoirs of a Geisha” by Arthur Golden is incredible. Very detailed and realistic.
“The Little Prince” by Auguste Sainte-Exupery is kick-ass at any age.
And though it pains me terribly to write this, a lot of the books in Oprah’s Book Club are excellent (I read most before she chose them!). She chooses them beacuse she thinks they will be good for people who do not read much, and some good pics are “I Know This Much Is True” by Wallie Lamb and “Song of Solomon” by Tonie Morrison.
Hmmm…I don’t know what to suggest. I don’t really read all that much.
I would vote for the previously mentioned Ender’s Game, To Kill Mockingbird, and Harry Potter.
I love Dumas, but I’m not sure I would give The Three Musketeers or Count of Monte Cristo to someone just getting into reading. I think those are more of a reward for being a good reader.
Other thoughts:
(aimed at children/young adults, but also good for grown-ups) –
The Outsiders, S.E Hinton
The Dark is Rising, Susan Cooper
(for grown-ups)–
Time and Again, Jack Finney
All the King’s Men, Robert Penn Warren
The Beet Queen, Louise Erdrich
What interests does your friend have? The kind of movies she likes might steer to you pick horror, or romance, or mystery. Is she someone who likes to travel, or has a particular interest in another country or culture? Is she interested in her own ethnic heritage (in which case, Leon Uris probably has a book with her name on it)? Animals? History? Science? Art?
A few personal favorites that haven’t already been suggested. Pick your own genre.
Crime: Kahawa by Donald Westlake
Fantasy: Devil’s Tower by Mark Sumner
Historical: Aztec by Gary Jennings
Horror: The World on Blood by Jonathan Nasaw
Humor: Thank You for Smoking by Christopher Buckley
Science Fiction: Courtship Rite by Donald Kingsbury
Soap Opera: A Dangerous Fortune by Ken Follett
Spy Thriller: The Mahdi by A.J. Quinnell
If she doesn’t enjoy at least one of these, maybe she should try another hobby.
Anything by James Herriot
One of the Chronicles of Narnia
Alan Mendelsohn: the Boy from Mars
Danny Dunn, Invisible Boy
Biography of Ted Kaczinsky
Forrest Gump