Welcome to the forum! I was right where you are now just shy of a year ago. And I am continually amazed by how much I've learned by consistent practice, a good teacher, and reading as much as I can about my instrument here, in books, and on other forums.
A "solid spruce top" is a solid spruce top. A "spruce top" is plywood.
Go with a solid top, if nothing else. Don't be disappointed with your first guitar. Here are a couple of recommendations:
Yamaha FG700 Series (FG700S, FG720S, etc)
Seagull S6
If you want to go a step higher, an Epiphone Masterbilt AJ500 would be a good choice, in either mahogany or rosewood.
Get thee to Guitar Center and try and play a few of these guitars. If you don't feel confident to play yourself, you can ask the salesperson to play them for you. Don't be shy about doing that, they should be glad to help you out. Try those guitars, and others that others here may recommend, and pick one that sounds good to you.
And remember, it's not a race, and have fun.:thu: