Honestly, you have three choices:
1) Read Spidey from the beginning. Hunt down the Essentials, and check those out, and enjoy the classics by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, John Romita Jr, Gerry Conway, Ross Andru, and the rest of the greats. Enjoy it. You'll see Peter Parker grow, change, mature, and then you'll get to a storyline entitled One More Day. That'll lead you to Brand New Day. Then you'll curse everyone for getting you into Spider-Man comics in the first place.
2) Read Spidey from the beginning....of Brand New Day. These issues are fairly easy to come by, none of them are really expensive, and the trades and hardcovers can be hunted down with ease (and on the cheap) on Amazon or ebay. You can enjoy the stories, and, having not read the history that they now have to ignore, you won't be the least bit angry. Ignorance may be bliss. Lots of good storytellers, but even those who like the new direction will tell you that it's kind of hit and miss.
3) Read Ultimate Spidey. It's good, it's fun, and the character is still pretty fresh. However, with rumors of the Ultimate Line being done away with, it looks like this may not be the road you should choose. Still, it's fun, the trades are cheap and easy to find, and the whole series has been pretty solid. Also, it's only had one writer.
That's it. Pick your poison.
Also, you xan always read Spider-Girl, which is better than all of the above, aside from Amazing Spider-Man ( in the beginning).
