Short answer would be to ask the DM if there are any races that they felt would be beneficial to the campaign at hand. Your DM should have a few ideas and can probably help you flesh out your character . This way your assured that your character is going to fit into the world your delving into. Ok onto the Long answer. If its your first time playing I would go with something that is simple. By this I mean any race that you do not have to constantly reference every few minutes when you are faced with a decisions. You are probably going to play a human Elf or Dwarf more realistically in reaction or play conceptually than say a race you barely understand. After you play a bit you and meet these other creatures and explore the world you can always roll another character again. Its also a great idea to have another character that your building on the ready in the event your current one dies (character creation can become addicting). All in all have fun with what ever you choose. It should feel fluid. Its not expressly forbidden to pick some of the crazier races but it can be harder on you the player to react realistically and also for your DM to set up encounters/challenges. Happy gaming!