I just made my first purchase a few months ago. Went with a Glock 45 (it's 9mm)
Its called 45 because of the patent number I think. It's like a hybrid of the Glock 17 and 19. It fits my hand well, magazine doesn't stick out, action is good and cost is pretty cheap. Compare with Barrera and Sig Sauer in similar price range.
There are lots of YouTube videos you can watch to help narrow your choices. I recommend watching a few to see how they compare various entry level pistols.