Hey Beauregard,
1. John Grisham's legal thrillers are very addictive. He wrote oh so many books many of which have been made into movies.
2. Dan Brown is an excellent writer. I tremendously enjoyed 3 of his works: "Angels & Demons" (A&D), "The Da Vinci Code" (DVC) and "The Lost Symbol" (LS). His newest book just came out a few months ago, I have yet to read it. Now, all three A&D, DVC and LS are independent of each other although they are sequential in the sense that the main character goes through A&D, then DVC and LS -- in time. I read DVC first, when there was this big brouhaha about it a few years back, then I read A&D before the movie was made and just read LS last. He also wrote "Deception Point" which I did NOT like and one more book "Digital Fortress" which I haven't read.
3. I just read a couple (or 3 books) of James Rollins' and very much enjoy his style. I read "Map of Bones" and just finished "The Last Oracle". Forgot which one is the 3rd I read of his. NOTE: They are chronological in a progressive timeline although each book is independent of each other. You DO want to read them in sequence for logical flow of things anyhow. Oh, just remembered: the 3rd book I read was "Indiana Jones, the Crystal Skull" the book version he was commissioned to write for the 4th installment of the Indiana Jones movies.
4. Somebody suggested the Harry Potter books >> I got hooked into HP books AFTER watching the first movie. Got started reading them. Eventually got caught up before the last movies were made and couldn't wait until they would be released! Very very enjoyable reads !! J.K. Rowlings is an incredible writer! Didn't read her recently published book written for adult yet. Heard it's good. Also just heard that her latest work written under a pseudo name is also good!!
** Now I personally read "Les Miserables", "Le Compte de Monte Cristo" or "Les Trois Mousquetaires" or "Autour du Monde en 80 jours" etc in French but I'd say the translated into English versions should do if you're not fluent enough en francais !! One of my favorites from my high school days in Paris is "Les Fleurs du Mal" of the poet Charles Beaudelaire. I know, I know, it's a poem & it got some prose too. But it's cool and very enjoyable.
*** What else? So many other great authors out there. Poe: Edgar Allan Poe. Bram Stoker's "Dracula", of course!
Classics? Roy Bradbury's "Farrenheit 451" << You'd love this one !!!! St. Exupery's "Le Petit Prince" >> "The Little Prince" is another of my favs.
I'll throw more names at you at a later time!!! Enjoy!