Many people will read the Bible through in the traditional English King James Version (KJV) or the slightly modernized Revised Standard Version (RSV), but unless you are very familiar with the language, you will spend as much time translating from older syntax into contemporary syntax as you will understanding the meaning. And some of the plain meaning will be missed in that process. I own both and consult both translations, but I have only read them through once in the last twenty years (a beautiful Cambridge paragraph printing of the King James), and it was laborious and less of a blessing than I hoped.
Lay eyes upon it for thyself

The New Revised Standard Updated Edition is what we read on Sunday mornings. It is a liberal translation in the tradition of the RSV but with more inclusive language and modern syntax. It is reliable, although there are quibbles about some translations about gender and sexuality, these are very limited. The New Revised Standard was the most widely accepted translation across denominations and for scholarship for thirty years. 
See one here

The English Standard Version seems to be 99.8% in line with the NRSV; where they differ is noted in the footnotes. The NRSV will say “Brothers and sisters” in a greeting but have “or Brothers” in the footnotes. Then ESV will have “Brothers,” but say, “Brothers and sisters.” They are both following the RSV and the American Standard versions in what is known as the King James tradition. That is, they follow the KJV logic and only change the translation where there is good evidence for an alternative reading.
See one here

The New International Version has been around since the 1970’s and is widely accepted as the most popular version since the King James. It is slightly less literal, considered a “thought for thought” rather than a “word for word” translation. It was revised in 2011 and is considerably closer to the text of the New Revised in significant points. I highly recommend the newer NIV as one of the most reliable and readable translations. The language is more inclusive, though not as much as the NRSVue. 
Check it out

The NET Bible, or New English Translation, is another favorite of mine if you want the full notes version. It gives the most comprehensive foot notes of any Bible since the old New Jerusalem Bible. It was originally an experiment in open-source scholarship where a group of scholars made every verse available online as they translated, and scholars could challenge and offer alternatives as they worked. The final version is reliable and readable, and where there is dispute, it is obvious in the notes.
Hard back version
Leather-like version

The New Living Translation is the last one I will recommend. It has been thoroughly revised and genuinely translated. I have quibbles with it, but it is easy to understand and to read in long sittings. 
See it here

If you want a small Bible to carry with you, and you can handle the print size, the Pitt Minion Bible from Cambridge is great. It is double column and readable for the size. And like all Cambridge Bibles is beautiful and durable. The double column format makes shorter blocks of text to scan with your eyes, which some people find easier to read. Most Bibles are printed this way to both save space and because it is familiar. 

View it here

It is much easier to read the Bible with others, especially with the guidance of an experienced and trained priest or deacon. And it was the clear intention of the Reformers that we should read the whole text in the context of common prayer. Once you have read the whole, you can more fully understand the context for the readings of the week or daily office.

First off – see above. But here are some general notes:

If you are thinking of purchasing a new Bible, the New Revised Standard Bible (Updated Version) is used on Sundays in most churches. But any translations produced or updated since 2000 or so are okay. The New International Version is easy to read, and the new version has improved some problematic passages from the earlier translation. The English Standard Version and the New American Standard are more literal but very similar to the style of the NRSV, although lightly more formal and more conservative than the NIV. I have been using the NET Bible for a couple of years and love the notes that come in the full notes edition.

I do not recommend the King James Version for this coming year unless you use the updated New King James version. The formality and older English syntax mean that most people will spend more time translating the text into contemporary language than coming to terms with the meaning of the Scriptures themselves. But the choice is yours.

There are readers’ versions of the Bible in several contemporary translations. These are formatted to make longer reading sessions easier. Over the years, I have collected several in text and on Kindle, both as single-column text and broken up into daily selections. Thus, the reading for each day comes from several different sections of the Bible, like our lectionary. There are also versions reprinted in the order of the story or a re-created order of writing, called chronological reading plans.

Our recommended resources this year will be following a straight read, beginning in Genesis and going through to Revelation. However, any congregation or reading group is encouraged to follow the plan that works best for them.