As for books …
I love Alan Dunn’s books for flowers
Eddy Spence …The Art of Royal Icing … is fantastic for all royal work
I have lots of really old books I bought from E bay that I refer to often, they are great for learning basic techniques and recipes.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Torkis-Sugar-Art-and-Cake-Design/451065930233?ref=hl