I personally use the New King James Version, which keeps the same wording as the KJV for the most part, only changing thees and thous to yous and things like that. The New American Standard is also a version I prefer, as the NIV often leaves out words and sometimes changes entire passages.
I might also suggest having more than one version on hand to cross check wording. It gives a better representation of meaning and helps you understand different connotations.