I like the Leuchtturm as a go-to option, though I've actually been using small sketch books lately as I enjoying playing with watercolors and markers and stuff in my books.

For a first go at something, I almost always recommend using something you already have or are familiar with if you're the kind of person who worries about messing up something "nice" but Leuchtturm are a good middle-ground: more expensive than a school notebook but not as expensive as high-end stationary, and good quality for the money.

For a good all-around pen my go-to recommendation is a uniball signo, because they come in lots of colors, and both with caps and clicky-style, and are relatively easy to find.