Best and worst source books for cake baking & decorating - looking for feedback

[bacon]

One of the best is Lindy Smith - Cakes to inspire and disire (also great website & blog).
At great disappontment and wish I never bought was Eric Lanlards Master Cakes - just something about it.
I would like to own Peggy Poschen Boutique Baking. sounds great and good reviews on amazon but at £44 a tad expensive.

These books seem to skip over the actual "how to do it" all very well to show it done but top tips would be great including overcoming common problems.

I would like to read recipes that are extra special not run of the mill.

Can you give your recommendations (or not)?

I have dozens of books . Marking my place and I will go and look in the cupboard and make good and bad lists later.

Lindy Smith books are good for cake inspiration, Hummingbird quite good for recipes. The Peggy P book is on my Amazon wishlist.

I find all the lindy smith ones great. Just bought her animal cakes book, looking forward to trying some of those...

I love Lindy Smith books and Debbie Brown.

I get lots from the library. Then if I think they are good I'll buy them. Saves money as you then can find out if they are rubbish before you've wasted money.

I am a novice maker of cakes. I like Dan Lepards "short and sweet"

A massive vote for the Be-ro book. It is my main source for all baking. I love it.

Bizarrely, the best source of new & interesting cakes that I've found in recent years (and I have a lot of baking books!) is the Children's book of baking by Sara Lewis. DD was given it as a present, but I've probably used it as much as she has. Not really fancy cakes, but lots of ideas that are just a bit different/not run of the mill. (I particularly like the sweet fruit 'pizza' recipe.)

Otherwise, Constance Spry is my go to book for fancy stuff (and anything else right down to those moments when you have a chicken dead but otherwise in a state of nature).

Should say, none of the above are decorating, just for baking.

I have Mich Turner's Cake Masterclass. So far recipes are yummy and there's lots of useful info on sizes / baking times to allow you to adapt to your tins and oven. The decorating advice is thorough with lots of pictures. It seems a good choice for a good amateur looking to step up skills. The chocolate cake is incredible btw really rich and moist.