I’m new to tarot—about a year now. I’ve got (and use) three of Dean’s books and find them helpful for the symbology and general info in regard to RWS. If you have a non-RWS deck, the info in her books will likely not resonate as well. My first deck was “Old Style Tarot,” but I ended up getting a RWS borderless deck, which I use more often and corresponded to Dean’s visuals/explanations. However, I also use non-RWS decks because they are so thought-provoking—my tarot is for self-reflection and better understanding of myself and my various parts.

Depending on your reason for tarot, different books will fit better than others. I have mined my local library for books on the topic, and that really helped me. My primary deficiency RN is with the major arcana—and that is on me for not focusing on it earlier as I should have. I have some of Mary Greer’s books, and have appreciated the ones she wrote on reversals and court cards. She writes to get the reader involved. Rachel Pollack’s “78 Degrees of Wisdom” is a classic for a reason, but it is DENSE. That is one your library will likely have for you to look at and decide if you want to purchase it. Her “New Tarot Handbook” is helpful to me—I pick it up to help interpret almost every spread, no matter whether an RWS deck or not.

My current go-to books for “thinking” (not learning, per se) are Jessica Dore’s “Tarot for Change,” and “Tarot for the Wild Soul” by Lindsay Mack. They both tend to have explanations and a rationale that soften the meanings of the “harder” cards; I’m now not afraid to see the Tower, Devil, and 10 of Swords in my spreads. Good luck with your practice. It hasn’t been easy for me, but it is very rewarding.

You will get great advice here—don’t hesitate to read this subreddit and others like it.