It is because of the fact that Java is very multi-faceted and adaptable language (all thanks to the JDK and the JVM that it supports).  Java is the most popular language and has vast community support.  It is a multipurpose language, can be used to develop application ranging from desktop applications to web applications.

As a beginner, to start with a new programming language, it is better to know the best resources available out there in the market and books are definitely one of them.

Also as a Java developer, we need to constantly refresh our programming skills including basic concepts to advanced level code and even we need to update ourselves with the latest programming practices.

So, today we are going to discuss some of the masterpiece books for Java developers/programmers. This will be a list of 8 books which covers almost all the crucial aspects of learning Java.

Now, without wasting any more time let’s address the elephant in the room.

Here is the list of Best Books to Learn Java for Beginners and Intermediate Developers

Java Books For Beginners :

Beginning Programming with Java For Dummies

A dedicated book for beginners that would teach you in a more fun and easy way. It covers basic Java development concepts and also the most important aspect of programming which is debugging. If you have less or even no experience in programming, then this book would definitely a good choice to kick off your learning journey.

Since, it is for beginner and therefore, it focuses on explaining the concept in more general or say in more layman language.

Head First Java: A Brain-Friendly Guide, 2nd Edition

Sometimes, a Java concept may be difficult to grasp and understand.  Such complex programming concepts demand a great amount of time to learn it. This book takes you to a ride where you would be learning Java in an interactive and more fun way, making the concept to remain stick to your mind.

It carries a lot of images which makes you understand a concept more easily. It covers all concepts ranging from basic programming fundamentals to advanced concepts such as RMI, Sockets, thread and more.

I would recommend this book for those who need to understand basic concepts, not for those who are looking for an advance topic and deep knowledge.

JAVA: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE

This is one of the most significant books in this list, while all other books have mostly a certain part to cover about Java in their editions. But his book has each and every Java-related concept.

A perfect and comprehensive book for beginners. It provides appropriate theoretical knowledge along with practical coding. It also contains the introduction of JavaFX.

This book is a must-read for the beginner who wants to make it big in the Java programming league.

Core Java: An Integrated Approach

It targets all the core Java concepts including Java 8 features. The topics ranging from OOPs features to generics and communication with the database. It also covers interview questions that would help you to crack interviews.

It’s also got a detailed and straightforward explanation along with simple and easy language.

Java Books For Intermediate Developers:

EFFECTIVE JAVA

Effective Java by Joshua Bloch is considered to be one of the best books to learn java across the globe. This book is enlightenment for any experience level coder can be it beginner, intermediate or advanced programmer.

This book’s unique selling point is the fact that it covers all Java concepts as well as APIs, collections, Java 8 features etc. and explains them in the simplest yet eloquent manner.

This book would help you in enhancing your Java skills as it is written in a way that one can grasp and understand concepts easily. It is more reliable for those who familiar with the concepts but wishes to enhance and sharpen their knowledge. A Java developer can also use it as a reference book.

All in all, It is a comprehensive book.

You can read this book on a holiday, or in your leisure time and you will surely attain all the concepts of java easily. Go Check out here

Core Java Volume I–Fundamentals

This book is a guide that would bring both theoretical and practical understanding of Java for you. It emphasises on writing robust and maintainable code. It covers topics ranging from in-depth Java fundamentals to UI programming.

It offers in-depth knowledge of the concept, advance topics such as functional programming and Java concurrency.

All in all, it is more comprehensive and going to train you to write manageable code. It can be used as a reference book by Java developers.

However, it comes with two volumes, one is Core Java, Volume I: Fundamentals and other is Volume II: Advanced Features.

It is for the people who have some basic understanding of Java, but also beginners can give it a shot who has a little experience with another language too.

Java: The Complete Reference

It provides both core as well as advance concepts with detailed explanation and full of examples. It would suit all range of learners, beginners, intermediates and advanced too.

Also, it covers Java fundamentals, functional programming ( Java 8 features ) and UI programming.

Thinking in Java

The book has to offer topics ranging from Java fundamentals to Advance features. It is a guide that would help you understand a topic in a more comprehensive way.

It doesn’t only cover topics in-depth but also encourages best coding practice. It is well written and delivers a topic in a way to grasp easily.

It is recommended for intermediate learners, not for beginners.

Java SE8 for the Really Impatient: A Short Course on the Basics

A book by Cay S. Horstmann that would walk you through Java 8 features such as Streams, Functional interfaces, Lambda Expressions and many more. The features are well explained with examples.

It teaches you to solve a problem with the help of new Java 8 features in most simplistic way.
The book revolves around Java 8 features, answering you, how to put lambda expression in your code, use of streams and other stuffs.

It also consists of a concise introduction of JavaFX.

Java in a Nutshell

The book is a guide that would educate you in basic Java fundamentals, Java 8 features, Advance topic such as concurrency.

It is not only for experienced developers but also for new developers. It comes up with lots of examples for various concepts, makes the concepts easy for you to understand.

Bonus: Extra books to learn more about Java

JAVA CONCURRENCY IN PRACTICE

It is more suitable for intermediate Java learners who are more into concurrency aspects in Java, not for Java beginners. It is a slightly advanced book as it covers thread concept more thoroughly unlike other books in the market. It covers modern features ranging from Threadpool to ExecutorService

There is no book like Java Concurrency in Practice to learn Java because this book has its roots in the concurrency and multithreading concepts which helps us understand the language completely.

While this book covers till the version for Java 5 but, still the book is a must-read to understand the much complex topics like multithreading and concurrency. Go Check out here

HEAD FIRST DESIGN PATTERNS

The list of all-time best java books would be incomplete without this book because it has its emphasis on the core concepts of java. It uses simple and easy language to make you understand the concept in a crystal clear manner.

This book is a holy grail for understanding the OOPs concepts and also the java as a whole. Go Check out here.

SPRING IN ACTION

As we all are aware that Java is so functional because of its frameworks. One of such important framework is the Spring Framework.

There is no book in this world that can explain you spring framework better than this very book. Check out this.

TEST DRIVEN

The testing is also something that a Java programmer must be aware of, now be it unit testing, integration or system testing. The Test-Driven book is the Holy Grail for the testing for Unit testing in java as it has unit testing libraries such as Mockito or Junit. Check out here.

THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO JAVA PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most important books that you must read to learn about java. The definitive guide to java is one of the all-time best-selling books. This book has greater emphasis over the JVM, performance and garbage collection in the java. Check out here.

HEAD FIRST OBJECT-ORIENTED ANALYSIS AND DESIGN

Another Head First book in this list, this book has a specific focus over the object-oriented design in Java. This is the best book to learn about object-oriented design and analysis techniques in Java. Go here.

CLEAN CODER

This book is also one of the classic java books that you should read to understand this language even more. This book is very much easier to understand.

The other books usually have some jargons but this book specifically focuses on the core concepts of java, that is, the building blocks of java namely the OOPs concept. Check out this.