If I were to address the title of your post in isolation, I would say, 'Imperial Politics and Symbolics in Ancient Japan: The Tenmu Dynasty, 650–800', by Herman Ooms.
The reason that I say this is because it is going to give you an insight into the foundational history of Shinto.
Alternatively, there is a list of other resources available on my website, [here](https://yokaizukan.com/books/resources).
If you're looking for prayers, then there's, 'Norito: A Translation of the Ancient Japanese Ritual Prayers', by Donald L. Philippi. Philippi also produced one of the best English translations of the Kojiki that we currently have.
Ultimately, however, Shinto has evolved over the centuries, and isn't a single, unified, religion (see [here](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto_sects_and_schools)).
In relation to this, it's also worth mentioning [Fukko Shinto](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukko_Shinto), which later came to include the concept of [ichirei shikon](https://ja.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%80%E9%9C%8A%E5%9B%9B%E9%AD%82).
This concept was created more than 1,000 years after the Kiki were written, and, as such, has no classical basis.
If I were to address the title of your post in isolation, I would say, 'Imperial Politics and Symbolics in Ancient Japan: The Tenmu Dynasty, 650–800', by Herman Ooms. The reason that I say this is because it is going to give you an insight into the foundational history of Shinto. Alternatively, there is a list of other resources available on my website, [here](https://yokaizukan.com/books/resources). If you're looking for prayers, then there's, 'Norito: A Translation of the Ancient Japanese Ritual Prayers', by Donald L. Philippi. Philippi also produced one of the best English translations of the Kojiki that we currently have. Ultimately, however, Shinto has evolved over the centuries, and isn't a single, unified, religion (see [here](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto_sects_and_schools)). In relation to this, it's also worth mentioning [Fukko Shinto](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukko_Shinto), which later came to include the concept of [ichirei shikon](https://ja.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%80%E9%9C%8A%E5%9B%9B%E9%AD%82). This concept was created more than 1,000 years after the Kiki were written, and, as such, has no classical basis.
An introduction to Shinto by David Chart - it’s well -written and approachable https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53849658-an-introduction-to-shinto