Here is an overview of top 3 textbooks that I recommend to everyone who is learning Russian.
1. Routledge Intensive Russian Course by Robin Aizlewood
It comes with two CDs. The voice of two Russian speakers are neutral, yet positive. They speak clearly in the contemporary Russian manner. The recordings have excellent quality with moderate pace. It is not mechanically slow, instead it is natural.
The content has a steady progression and is suitable for self-study. Each exercise and grammar point has an explanation in English.
Images inside the book are black and white, but they are clear and illustrative.
The book can be used as reference material for additional explanation of such complex topics as motion verbs and reflexive verbs.
If you are looking for a textbook to start learning Russian, this is a highly recommended option.
2. Russian 16 lessons by Dmitry Petrov
This is an excellent resource that can serve as a supplement to your main textbook. The layout of the book makes it very easy to read and absorb learning material. It focuses primarily on verbal conjugations and gives plenty of practice.
3. Colloquial Russian: The Complete Course for Beginners by Svetlana le Fleming and Susan E. Kay
This textbook has a story telling style: from the first page of the book you encounter an Englishman who came to Moscow to work, and you follow his experiences in Russian.
This book is excellent for reading and vocabulary. Every lesson is based on a dialogue or a story.
These top 3 textbooks are chosen based on their strong communicative strategies, a simple layout and the integration of everyday vocabulary.