Welcome to DD! When I first started here a little over a year ago I had no Photoshop experience either and thanks to the information and wonderful support here in the forums, it has become quite the addiction. The sale starts this Thursday and goes through next Tuesday morning with every item in the store marked down 30% so it'll be a great time to stock up on some essentials. I'm sure everyone here will be happy to tell you their favorites.
Since you are doing a book, I would suggest one of the template books in the store. It'll be a great way to get started and give your book a cohesive look. There are so many in the store
Templates. And Cassie's tutorial
Getting Started with Templates. All you'll need is some paper and your photos to create a beautiful book! Any other questions, feel free to ask!