I studied for mine with Trevor Thom's "Air Pilot Manuals", as these to be the standard at PPL level to learn from. They are very digestible and I recommend them.
For me, I bought myself a nice springback folder and stocked it with blank pages. I read the books in their numerical order, starting with Met and Air Law. Each chapter I'd write notes along the way. A regugitation in my own language. My notes would be steered by the "Exercises" found in the back of the book for each chapter, so as to not wonder from course.
I found by writing notes in this presentable form (I wrote neatly and often with little sketches) enabled me to properly digest the subject and allows me not just to recall but compute.
From here, once I felt confident in each subject (and take them slow, don't just read the words, understand them. Read them again if you don't get it the first time) I would finish my notes for that subject and then test myself with a question bank. I think it's important not to just try and memorise these banks. Even if you've used the same bank more than once and already know the answer, compute the answer again. Do all the workings again to remind yourself of the process. It works.
Once I was achieving a level of success I was happy with, I'd take the exam.
More than anything, though, fly. The theory slots more into place when you are flying at the same time. The practical experience gives more rationale to the words you read.
As you rightly say, each person is different, but this worked for me!