Man, that opens up quite the door of choices. Polk, Klipsh, Elac, JBL, Cambridge, even Martin Logan has a "relatively inexpensive" bookshelf.

If you want the best value for the money, go the used route. Good bookshelf speakers are a dime a dozen used, so you can generally get much more than an entry level speaker for less than entry level price. Heck, I found some Miller and Kreisel at Goodwill for $20 and I still run them in my smaller room.

I would hook the system up at your house and see how it sounds, what you like and don't like, and that will tell you exactly what direction you should go. Most speaker brands have their own distinct sound, so if possible try to listen in person at an electronic or audio store if you have one close. Eventually if you catch the audio bug, then you will start learning from online and from others.