Last year was a hard year for the garden. Here in Illinois the sub-zero to 50* weather rollercoaster really messed with the plants and the bugs. So my first piece of advice is to understand that you aren't just going to plant when the package of seeds tells you and end up with a bounty.
To answer your question on reading, we love the book, "Crockett's Victory Garden" by James Crockett. It goes month by month with details on setting up, planting, and harvesting. Published in 1977, I don't know if you can find it or not. We have a dozen others that talk about other aspects of gardening, but that one will get you started well.
If you're near the woods, invest in some good fencing to keep the animals out. Deer and rabbits will eat your garden well before you do.
Find a local grow shop and talk to them about what you need. They can take you right to the shelf and show you. This year we are starting a garden at our church. The goal is to teach people how to garden, while giving a lesson on self-reliance (and tying in a little bible lesson). There are a lot of useful herbs mentioned in the bible and people don't really know what they are or how to use them. Mustard greens, dandelion, sorrel, chicory, coriander, hyssop, anise, fennel, etc, etc. They all have a use today! Not to mention all the references to gardening (reap what you sow, etc). If you are in our area, I would invite you to check it out.