My Best Books

This is my short list of the best Doctrine & Covenants/Church History Books:

For essential historical context and some commentary: Steve Harper's Making Sense of the Doctrine & Covenants: A Guided Tour through Modern Revelations.

For some historical context and more doctrinal commentary: Stephen E. Robinson and Dean Garrett's A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants, 4 vols.

For primary sources: Opening the Heavens: Accounts of Divine Manifestations, 1820-1844. 
It is always better to read the original source than just what someone else says about it.

For the best Joseph Smith biography: Richard L. Bushman's Rough Stone Rolling.
Bushman held endowed chairs of history and religion at both Columbia University and Claremont Graduate University. He is a patriarch and a fantastic mentor of faithful scholarship. This book is written for a general audience, not just Latter-day Saints, and deals with many difficult topics, but in my mind clearly the best biography of Joseph.

Best source for early LDS Women's history during this period (Ok best is difficult, but this is a great resource): Rick Turley and Brittany Chapman's Women of Faith in the Latter-days. Volume 1 includes women born 1775-1820. Volume 2 is also available, 1821-1845. There is likewise a free supplement for Volume 1 here. Or here.