When I got back into flight sims I really wanted to take it to the next level. Ended up finding Checkride Prep which offers a free online ground school. It’s live but they record the sessions and you watch them later. They are free but to go over some upselling in the first 15 minutes or so of each session which is about three hours long. They are totally legit.
Thanks for the info and Welcome to the forums…
I still have all my books by Trevor Thom from when I did my PPL back in the late 90s. Had to sit an exam on the subject of each book. They’ve obviously been updated since then (though not much will have changed with anything other than ‘Air Law’, I guess (the weather is still the same as it was 20 years ago, etc. 
They are all available here:
https://www.flightstore.co.uk/pilot-training-c870/trevor-thom-t3694
I thumbs up that one, too.
Yes Poolys Air Pilots Manuals 1-7, I bought these back when using MS 2000 but gave them away to a young lad wanting to be a pilot. Recently bought them again for reference. They really cover everything and the lessons can be practised in the sim. They have been updated for the latest navigation and are lovely books with plenty of illustrations. Even the manual 2 includes meteorology as well as law. I cannot recommend these enough.
Volume 1 - flying training takes you through step by step all the basics and is a great place to start.
Volume 5 is great for IFR and takes you through NDB and VORS which although is an art in its own right. I know you don’t really need VOR much these days but I found learning this very enjoyable and good for classic aircraft without FMC. Also covers all the latest navigation too.
I just love these books!
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The book Stick and Rudder is a great read for just starting pilots. Stick and Rudder - MyPilotStore.com
Stick and Rudder is a bott everyone interested in flying should read.
Good grief, slogged my way through that set back in the day too … found out that there are (in my humble opinion) better books covering the same basic knowledge. Try the AFE set instead!
Of course ‘back in the day’ there was no YouTube, TV had only 3 channels, and if the interweb existed, it hadn’t reached my street yet… 
Poolys is the only aviation books I have read so will check out the AFE. I do like to read away from the screen along with my PC Pilot magazines. I do watch the YouTube videos a lot but it’s nice to verify some of what you see.