Everyone should have their own personal Tarot card deck. There are hundreds of different designs. Visit your local bookstore, New Age shop, Occult store, or some of the different card company's on line to view the many decks. Choosing a deck is a very personal quest. Look at the images and pick the one that most appeals to you. Once chosen, treat with respect, for the cards will help you embark on a magical journey of self discovery. I like to place my cards in a silk bag I make especially for each deck. I then place the bag and cards under my pillow for 3 nights. They are then ready to be used for the first time.
I like to first study each card. Shuffle the deck and choose the top card. Look at all the symbols. What do they mean to you? What does the guide book say? Look at each card this way and get a feeling for the meaning. Use your own intuition and life experiences to understand the relevance of each card as it relates to you. I do an exercise each morning with my cards. I shuffle the deck asking the question "What lesson do I need to learn today." I then cut the deck and turn over the top card. This is my card for the day. I then study the images on the card and read about the card to learn the lesson I need from that card today. This is an excellent way to learn about yourself as well as gain new insight about the card. Once you feel comfortable with the cards you are ready to do your own reading for the first time.
There are as many different layouts or spreads as there are decks. It is usually easiest to use the standard 10 card Celtic Cross spread to start.