Every section must have a point. Below I suggest some publications which typically contain some good-quality economic analysis which is not too technical. You will get a lot of ideas and see applied economics in action. The internet now provides a powerful tool for accessing information and downloading relevant material, which you should find extremely useful. Journal of Economic Perspectives .
Papers are very useful because they survey areas and thus contain many useful references.
This journal is published quarterly. If you go through the last 3-4 years, it is highly likely that you will find something in your area of interest. The World Development Report . Each issue covers a different topic and typically contains high quality and accessible analysis. At the end of each issue, there are multi-country data.