I have bought and gotten rid of a lot of books over the years, and I agree that magazines have been the most helpful to me. Some feature techniques among the patterns and have patterns for a variety of skill levels. F&P's Love of Quilting and BH&G's American Patchwork and Quilting are often on the newsstands and at Joann Fabrics so you can try them to see if you want to subscribe. I do like Kim Diehl's patterns because they feature both pieced and appliqued quilts in various sizes. Because samplers are my favorite, my "Bible" is the "Quick and Easy Block Tool." It includes patterns for traditional pieced blocks in various sizes from about 3" to 12" or so.