A lot of model boat books have been published over the years. I've gone through, and own, quite a few of them. These here are some of the best that focus on building and finishing kits.
There are many types of kits, both in terms of materials used, in subject matter, price range, physical size and difficulty in assemble.
It is difficult to write a book talking about kits in a general sense of building, so all these books tend to dive into the construction of actual kits. In that sense, these books become a helping hand and a valuable companion where the kit's own instructions may leave a gap.
It goes without saying that there are more kits on the market than there are examples in these books. So if you are a beginner, it may work as a good tutorial to get the book first and then purchase one of the kits used as an example in the book and follow along.
If building model boats from kits is not your thing, I have other helpful books listed. Here are some other useful books selected with the model boat builder in mind: