My brother, B, has re-tiled a tub / shower surround. He did good job of getting all the tiles lined up. The one thing that sticks out I can remember him saying (and probably wouldn't be found in books) is that he doesn't recommend using "floor tile" on walls. The large blue-white marble tiles certainly provide more surface area, fewer grout lines... but due to the increased thickness & weight (due to being "floor tiles") they were a "pain" to put into place.
tile remodel
Good luck with your project!
-- Shadopanther