Need somewhat particular help with boom reccomendations

Hello all! I'm kind of new to reading. I'm in my late twenties and grew up hating books. But as of late have finally grown to have a liking. Because of this, I think I admittedly read at a low level. I'm looking for suggestions on books. I'm pretty open minded on setting and premise but do have some preferences I'm hoping people could work around if possible when reccomending.

First the books I have read recently. I read the first Percy Jackson book for the first time. I had a good time, will probably read the rest down the line. I also read Halo The Fall of Reach and as a big Halo fan I loved that book. Really was a gut punch by the end in the best possible way. I also read The Long Game because I loved the Heated Rivalry show and wanted to know what happens next and couldn't wait for another season.

So with that I'd like to say I'm open minded to genre. But I do have some things I don't want. First is too high of a reading level. I started the Witcher Last Wish book recently because I love the Witcher 3 game so much. Thought it'd be a great idea. But it got to a point I really couldn't follow. I did like the short story format of the book. But what I didn't like was just the amount of names and locations and magical items these people posses and they're all being talked about as though all the characters already know what they are and how they relate. And I understand I should be smart enough to use context to follow along and understand but I'm sadly too weak of a reader to grasp it it seems. So I can't have something too confusing with too much unexplained info thrown at me consistently. The last thing is I prefer character driven to plot driven. A good plot is nice I will appreciate it for sure. But I need characters I latch on to. I want good drama.

Any suggestions would be amazing from anyone and I'd truly appreciate it as a new reader.