My go to book is "Quilter's Complete Guide" by Marianne Fons and Liz Porter. The edition I have is spiral bound so it lays open and flat, perfect when trying to follow directions. I got it in 1993 from my mom a non-quilter and wouldn't give it up for anything. In fact when I acquired a 2nd book I gave it to DD's friend who was just starting to get into quilting. Lot's of notes and marked pages!