Top 8 Kotlin Books for Beginners in 2024
Kotlin is a language for Android phones.
Kotlin is a modern, cross-platform, open-source, statically typed programming language. This versatile language was developed by JetBrains for modern multi-platform applications.
Nowadays, Kotlin is widely used for Android development because it is safe, concise, and fun to read and write. This blog will guide beginners to get started with Kotlin.
In this article, we’re talking about the books that give the most valuable to people learning their first programming language.
Why Learn Kotlin
Here are a few reasons why programmers and developers should learn Kotlin:
Easy to learn: Kotlin is very easy to learn and its syntax is very much similar to Java so you can remember it very easily.
Performance: Kotlin gives better performance and has a small runtime.
Popular: Kotlin has become very popular due to Google’s influence.
Concise: Kotlin keeps things brief and concise. It is more concise than Java and reduces codebase significantly when compared to the same code written in Java
Interoperable: Kaitlin is interoperable and we can use existing JVM libs and frameworks.
Safe: Kaitlin is safe and is impossible to get a NullPointerException
What Makes Best Kotlin Books?
When looking for the best books to learn Kotlin programming, one question to ask is this: what makes the best Kotlin books?
Here are our criteria to select Kotlin books for beginners:
It must have a structured, clear, and logical progression of topics.
The book is concise and easy to understand.
Contain exercises, examples, and practice problems for hands-on experience.
Engaging and able to hold the attention of readers.
The book should have a clear layout and must be friendly toward self-taught programmers.
Best Kotlin Books for Beginners
When it comes to learning Kotlin language, books have become the best source for learning this language. Enjoy our list of five best Kotlin programming books for beginners.
1. Best Book for Visual Learners: Head First Kotlin: A Brain-Friendly Guide
Head First Kotlin by David Griffiths is a complete introduction to coding in Kotlin. It’s no secret that I love Head First books, This hands-on book helps you learn the Kotlin language with a unique method that goes beyond syntax and how-to manuals and teaches you how to think like a great Kotlin developer. Everything has been explained very clearly and in detail using clear diagrams and pictures.
In this book, you will learn about language fundamentals to collections, generics, lambdas, and even higher-order functions. The book is divided into twelve chapters:
Chapter 1 gives a Quick Dip and guides you on getting started
Chapter 2 covers basic types and variables
Chapter 3 covers functions
Chapter 4 covers classes and objects
Chapter 5 covers subclasses and superclasses and Inheritance
Chapter 6 covers Serious Polymorphism, abstract classes, and interfaces
Chapter 7 talks about data classes
Chapter 8 talks about nulls and exceptions
Chapter 9 covers collections
Chapter 10 covers generics
Chapter 11 covers lambdas and higher-order functions
Chapter 12 covers built-in higher-order functions
If you want to really understand Kotlin the easy way, this is the book for you.
2. Best Book for Serious Learners: Kotlin in Action
The book, Kotlin in Action is written by Sebastian Aigner and Svetlana Isakova. It guides you from the language basics of Kotlin through developing apps to run on the JVM and Android devices. This book also dives deep into interesting topics like building DSLs with natural language syntax.
The book includes eighteen chapters. As you progress through this masterful book, you’ll get hands-on with the Kotlin standard library, functional programming in Kotlin, and advanced features such as generics and reflection. And this updated second edition now covers coroutines and structured concurrency to help you create efficient high-performance applications.
PART 1
Chapter 1 gives an introduction to Kotlin
Chapter 2 covers Kotlin basics
Chapter 3 talks about Defining and calling functions
Chapter 4 covers Classes, objects, and interfaces
Chapter 5 covers Programming with lambdas
Chapter 6 talks about Working with collections and sequences
Chapter 7 talks about Working with nullable values
Chapter 8 covers Basic types, collections, and arrays
PART 2
Chapter 9 covers Operator overloading and other conventions
Chapter 10 talks about Higher-order functions: Lambdas as parameters and return values
Chapter 11 covers Generics
Chapter 12 covers Annotations and reflection
Chapter 13 covers DSL construction
PART 3
Chapter 14 is about Coroutines
Chapter 15 covers Structured concurrency
Chapter 16 talks about Flows
Chapter 17 covers Flow operators
Chapter 18 covers Error handling and testing
This book is for someone who is new to Kotlin but is experienced in Java.
3. Best Book for Total Beginners: Kotlin Programming, In 8 Hours
Kotlin Programming, In 8 Hours by Ray Yao covers all essential Kotlin language knowledge. You can learn complete primary skills of Kotlin programming fast and easily. The textbook includes a lot of practical examples and exercises for beginners.
The contents covered in the book are:
Hour 1: What is Kotlin, Install JDK, Install the IDE
Hour 2: Comment, Kotlin Output, Variables, Data Type, Data Type Conversion, Escape Sequences
Hour 3: Arithmetical Operators, Comparison Operators, Assignment Operators, Monadic Operator, Logical Operators, Package, The Value of Variable, Kotlin Input, Range
Hour 4: If-else Statement, When Statement, For Loop, While Loop, Do-While Loop, Break Statement, Continue Statement
Hour 5: Array, Array Assignment, Array Accessment, Other Type Arrays, Array Size, Array Default Values, Iterate Through Array
Hour 6: String, Raw String, String Length, String Access, String Template, String Functions, String Functions Example, Two String Values, $ Symbol, The Last Index
Hour 7: Function, Default Parameters, Pass Parameters, Recursive Function, Lambda Function, High Level Function, Inline Function
Hour 8: Class, Object, Constructor, Inheritance
Reading this book is a great enjoyment! The straightforward definitions, the plain examples, the elaborate explanations and the neat layout feature makes this book a must-read for beginners.
4. Best book for Quick Reference: Kotlin Crash Course
Kotlin Crash Course by Elena van Engelen is a fast-paced, hands-on introduction to Kotlin. It prepares readers to build robust applications efficiently using the latest language features and best practices.
The book teaches Kotlin concepts and best practices and you’ll apply what you learn in eight engaging interactive projects. You’ll be able to build real-world applications, including REST APIs and serverless deployments.
Here’s what you’ll learn from the book:
Understand Kotlin syntax and basic coding conventions.
Master object-oriented and functional programming concepts.
Utilize Kotlin’s collection framework effectively.
Implement concurrency and parallelism with coroutines.
Build robust applications with best practices.
Develop diverse applications, including REST APIs and serverless solutions.
The book is divided into thirteen chapters that cover key Kotlin programming topics. Each chapter takes a learning by doing approach, focusing on practical projects rather than solely theoretical knowledge. This approach ensures that even beginners can gain seasoned insights and apply their knowledge confidently to real-world challenges.
Chapter 1 introduces the Power of Kotlin Programming
Chapter 2 covers Kotlin Syntax and Basic Coding Conventions
Chapter 3 talks about Setting up the Development Environment
Chapter 4 talks about Fundamental Building Blocks of Kotlin
Chapter 5 covers Object-oriented Programming
Chapter 6 covers Kotlin Collection Framework
Chapter 7 covers Scope Functions
Chapter 8 covers Functional Programming
Chapter 9 talks about Exploring Delegation Design Pattern
Chapter 10 covers Concurrency and Parallelism
Chapter 11 covers Unit Testing in Kotlin
Chapter12 talks about Building a Simple REST API
Chapter 13 talks about Building Event-Driven Cloud Native Serverless Application
The book is appropriate for new and experienced programmers wishing to acquire or refresh their Kotlin skills.
5. Best Book for Expert Insights: Kotlin Essentials
Kotlin Essentials by Marcin Moskała covers the essentials of Kotlin so you can start developing with this amazing programming language. It shows nearly everything you need to know in clear and executable code examples. It’s perfect book to start learning Kotlin from the basics!
The book includes many practical examples and suggestions. The concepts covered in the book are:
Variables, values, and types
Conditional statements and loops
Support for nullability
Classes, interfaces, and inheritance
Object expressions and declarations
Data, sealed, enum, and annotation classes
Extension functions
Collections
Operator overloading
The type system
Generics
This book is for developers with experience in other programming languages. It's part of a series of books written on Kotlin that I highly recommend for becoming an expert on the language. You’ll definitely enjoy reading this book!
6. Best Book for Dummies: Kotlin from Scratch
Kotlin from Scratch by Faisal Islam guides you to code in Kotlin by starting from scratch and gradually building skills to tackle a wide range of fun and challenging problems. The book includes 37 hands-on projects that helps to learn language basics, building your problem-solving skills, and even tackling advanced concepts.
You’ll explore the way Kotlin handles variables, control structures, functions, classes, and data structures. You’ll also learn to create visualizations using Kotlin and the JavaFX graphics library.
The book is divided into four parts and nine chapters.
PART I: Programming Fundamentals
Chapter 1: Kotlin Basics
Chapter 2: Arrays, Collections, and Classes
Chapter 3: Visualizing with JavaFX
PART II: Applications in Maths and Science
Chapter 4: Solving Mathematical Problems with Code
Chapter 5: Modeling and Simulation
PART III: Recursion, Sorting, and Searching
Chapter 6: Recursive Functions and Fractals
Chapter 7: Sorting and Searching
PART IV: Optimization with Nature-Inspired Algorithms
Chapter 8: The Genetic Algorithm
Chapter 9: Agent-Based Algorithms
7. Best Book fir Hands-on Learners: Kotlin: Zero To One
Kotlin: Zero To One by Shubham Matta gives a comprehensive introduction to Kotlin and is designed to enhance your Kotlin programming prowess. It starts with the basics and traverses the most advanced Kotlin concepts.
This book goes beyond the rudimentary aspects of programming. It equips you with problem-solving strategies required for competitive programming and coding challenges. The book is well-structured and easy to follow, making it accessible to beginners and experienced developers alike. It is full of thoughtful exercises and clear examples and provides hands-on experience in mastering Kotlin.
Here’s what you’ll learn from the book:
Grasp the benefits and wide-ranging applications of Kotlin in today's software development industry
Create a Kotlin project and write your first comprehensive program
Understand and master Kotlin's basic syntax, variable types, and user input management
Gain a solid understanding of Kotlin's control flows for efficient problem-solving
Define and use functions, understanding the importance and usage of scope functions in Kotlin
Master the creation and utilization of classes and objects in Kotlin, along with Kotlin imports and null-safety features
Apply the principles of OOP in Kotlin, including polymorphism, abstraction, and encapsulation
Prepare for competitive programming and ace coding interviews using Kotlin as your weapon of choice
Reinforce your learning and understanding through Kotlin practice assignments
This book is your guide to becoming a proficient Kotlin programmer. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to master this powerful programming language.
More books you may like:
8. Best Book for Completionists: Learn Kotlin Programming: A comprehensive guide to OOP, functions, concurrency, and coroutines in Kotlin 1.3
Learn Kotlin Programming by Stephen Samuel and Stefan Bocutiu will take you through the fundamentals of Kotlin and get you up to speed in no time. You will learn to build powerful Android and web applications.
The book covers the installation, tools, and how to write basic programs in Kotlin. Learn Kotlin Programming covers the installation, tools, and how to write basic programs in Kotlin. You'll learn:
Explore the latest Kotlin features in order to write structured and readable object-oriented code
Get to grips with using lambdas and higher-order functions
Write unit tests and integrate Kotlin with Java code
Create real-world apps in Kotlin in the microservices style
Use Kotlin extensions with the Java collections library
Uncover destructuring expressions and find out how to write your own
Understand how Java-nullable code can be integrated with Kotlin features
This book is divided into sixteen chapters and the contents include
Getting Started with Kotlin
Kotlin Basics
Object-Oriented Programming in Kotlin
Functions in Kotlin
Higher-Order Functions and Functional Programming
Properties
Null safety, Reflection, and Annotations
Generics
Data Classes
Collections
Testing in Kotlin
Microservices with Kotlin
Concurrency
Coroutines
Application of Coroutines
Kotlin Serialization
This book is a gem for a beginner or intermediate programmer who wants to learn Kotlin to build applications.
More Ways to Learn Kotlin
The best way to learn to code goes like this:
Commit to coding and coding education consistently — at least three days a week.
Learn through multiple forms of input. In addition to studying books, take interactive or online courses.
Here are a few more ways to learn Kotlin besides books:
Udemy: The Complete Android Kotlin Developer Course is a highly-rated, packed course with 33 hours of on-demand video content.
Coursera: Kotlin for Java Developers is an extremely highly-rated course offered by Jetbrains, which offers clear modules to learn from top people in the field.
Codecademy: Codecademy’s free beginner Kotlin course is an interactive way to help solidify Kotlin concepts. With Pro, you get a certificate. For more on Codecademy Pro, see my Codecademy Pro review.
If you want more free beginner resources to learn programming skills, I’ve compiled over 70 free resources that you can access immediately. I hope to see you over there in that article.
I hope you have a wonderful day. 👋 😁