I have only done extract brewing, most from a kit or variations on a kit I have done before, from various sites including midwest. If you do them correctly they all turn out great. Even the ones I did not have a taste for were still good beers, and I have never thrown a batch away. Do what you like to drink, what meets your tastes. I don't like IPA's enough to do a batch of them. That is me. Doesn't mean IPA kits aren't great. I would buy some books now, I didn't buy books until many batches. You will wish you had some books eventually, even if you don't think you need/want them now. Knowledge is power! haha
Eb