There are a ton of soap making books out there was wondering if anyone on here has any first hand reviews and could point me in the right direction :-)
Smart Soapmaking by Anne Watson
The Soapmaker's Companion by Susan Cavitch
Start with a recipe that calls for shortening, olive oil and coconut oil - and lye [drain cleaner]
Since you're probably going to want to put beeswax in the soap, then learn how to use a soap calculator like http://soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcwp.asp
For more exotic oils, check out brambleberry.com. She has a ton of tutorials, a great soap calc, and anything else you'd possibly want in soap and cosmetics. Warning - it's as addictive as beekeeping.
Good luck! I've been making soap for years so if you have questions, let me know - you can email me directly.
robin at morenna dot com