Master Android application development course with Kotlin, it is the modern programming language, which allows app developers to be productive and concise. Professionals can build apps for the mobile platform by using Kotlin and Android Studio.
Before delving more into this subject, it is important to know everything about Kotlin. Kotlin is the statically typed programming language for general-purpose, created by JetBrains and an official language to develop android apps. Kotlin is a highly preferred language for native Android application development. It’s cross-platform, modern, and simple to learn.
These days, Kotlin is used widely for Android development as it is concise, safe, and lots of fun to read & write. In this blog, we will guide beginners and pros to understand everything about Kotlin. The best way to learn is through books that will give the right information and knowledge to learn your first programming language. Let us go ahead and check out the top hand-chosen Kotlin books.
List of Best Kotlin Books in 2024
1. Kotlin in Action
If you’re a professional Java developer searching for the Kotlin book, then this is the best book you can find on shelves. It teaches you to write idiomatic and clean code and how Java and Kotlin work together. This is written by the JetBrains core Kotlin java developers Jemerov and Isakova.
The book is further divided into two parts. In the first part, you will learn how to start using Kotlin with current libraries & APIs. In the second part, you learn to create APIs & abstractions in Kotlin. This covers some of the language’s highly important features.
It is one amazing book, you will learn the basics of Kotlin language, learn functional programming of JVM, and various concepts such as an object, interface, and lambda. When you go deeper into it, you can get some exciting concepts like operator overloading, DSL construction, higher-order, and much more. Once you finish, you can build the production-quality apps by using Kotlin.
2. Kotlin Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide
Kotlin Programming is the companion guide of the Kotlin Essentials course. This book is mainly geared towards beginners and professional developers. You will start with the core principles such as conditionals, data types, and collections.
Based on the Big Nerd Ranch’s famous Kotlin Essentials course, the book tells you how you will work effectively with Kotlin language through examples and some clear explanations of Kotlin concepts & foundational APIs. This book introduces you to the JetBrains’ IntelliJ IDEA environment.
Once you complete the book, you will learn to create concise and reliable apps in Kotlin. Doesn’t matter if you have any prior knowledge of any programming language or not, the book can guide you from the first laws to the advanced use of Kotlin language.
3. How to Build Android Apps with Kotlin
If you are keen to start building Android 11 applications but do not know where you must start? Then How to Build Android Apps with Kotlin makes a perfect guide to help you kick-start the Android development practice.
The book begins with the fundamentals of application development, allowing you to use Android Studio & Kotlin to start building various Android projects. You will learn to create various applications and run them on virtual devices by guided exercises. Progressing through various chapters, you will get delved into Android’s RecyclerView and make most of the images, lists, and maps, or see how you can fetch the data from web service.
You will get to work on realistic projects, which are split up into bitesize exercises or activities, letting you challenge yourself in an attainable and enjoyable way. You can build applications for creating quizzes, read articles, store recipes, check weather reports, retrieve information, and also remind you about where you have parked the car.
4. Kotlin Cookbook: A Problem-Focused Approach
Kotlin Cookbook 1st Edition is for both experienced and newbies programmers. Rather than teaching the basic syntax, in this book, you will learn Kotlin language by the personal use cases. In this book, you will learn how you can apply the Kotlin language to your projects.
An overall focus of this book is not just to teach you the Kotlin syntax or semantics but to show you why and when certain features must be utilized. The goal is not essential to cover each detail of Kotlin’s libraries and syntax. In an end, many recipes on the basic principles were also added to make this book understandable to the readers with just the beginning Kotlin knowledge level.
Practising with examples is very helpful for a learner as this can prepare you for real-time problems. The book does that perfectly. The book is filled with plenty of tips and tricks on various topics such as Kotlin basics, fundamental Kotlin features, collections and arrays, similarities with java programming, and much more.
5. Head First Kotlin
Head First Kotlin 1st Edition is for java developers without any prior Kotlin programming experience. However, you must have a little background in the scripting language. The book takes a hands-on approach when it comes to learning Kotlin as well as teaches you to think like the Kotlin developer. This book covers everything from the Kotlin fundamentals to the higher-order functions.
It is the best book for beginners who are into learning Kotlin. This has the complete introduction to coding in the Kotlin language. This book teaches you each concept by using pictures and diagrams in complete detail. Thus, using the visually rich format.
The beginning goes from language fundamentals and concepts like generics, collections, lambda, and the higher-order functions. This teaches you about object-oriented java programming. When you complete this book, you will have developed the strong root of your favourite Kotlin language.
6. Android Studio 4.2 Development Essentials
Android Studio 4.2 is for developers with programming experience and interested in Android development by using Kotlin. Looking at the huge 96 chapters, it is not for casual learners. Instead, it is for the readers who are very serious about Android development.
The book starts by outlining steps essential to set up the Android development as well as the testing environment and it introduces Kotlin programming, by addressing different data types, functions, flow control, lambdas, as well as object-oriented programming. This includes a complete overview of the Android Studio, covering various areas like tool windows, code editor, and Layout Editor tool. Introduction to the Android architecture will be followed by a complete explanation of the design of the Android apps and user interfaces by using the Android Studio environment.
In this book, you will learn to set up your Android development as well as a testing environment. After that, you will get a bit familiar with the Android Architecture Components like view models & app navigation. For getting the most from the book, you must have previous programming language experience. You must download Android Studio & Android SDK for the course. Ensure you have access to Mac, Windows, and Linux systems and creative applications ideas for development.
7. Beginning Android Development With Kotlin
Beginning Android Development with Kotlin is yet another amazing book to learn Kotlin. In this book, you will learn how to build your Android applications right from beginning to end in minutes. You will find that in this book every section is perfectly written in a bite-sized way and on point as the author does not want you to waste time on content that you do not need. In an end, you will get to learn different skills that will help you create the app and submit this to an app store.
The primary goal of Beginning Android Development by Greg is to teach you Android development in an effective and manageable way without overpowering you. The main focus is on essentials and covers material in the hands-on practice to code in the right way.
8. The Joy of Kotlin
Are you looking to learn to write right, simple-to-maintain and safe programs with Kotlin? Then The Joy of Kotlin is the best book for you. It explains in detail how you can build maintainable and bug-free apps. This book also explains ways to approach the common programming issues with the fresh and FP-inspired approach that are given by the seasoned engineer named Pierre-Yves Saumont. The book covers a complete Kotlin overview, memoization, recursion, and more.
The book teaches various concepts by using plenty of examples. Firstly, you will; learn about Kotlin programming with great functions. After that, this book touches to deal with various optional data, secure handling of any errors as well as handling the state mutation.
When you work through many examples, you will dive deep in handling errors as well as data rightly and taking benefit of laziness. The author’s great examples and insights can make you the better — and more joyful — developer!
9. Kotlin and Android Development featuring Jetpack
The book is planned both for the new developers and anybody experienced with Android or Kotlin. This is one amazing book for beginners without any Kotlin and Android Experience. This helps the users to create their Android projects by using the Kotlin programming language in Android.
The guide helps the users to set up each tool that they will need for this process, which includes Android SDK & device emulator. The emulator is used later in this book to test apps that you have built, hence allowing you to visualize what the successful creation appears.
Final Thoughts
Kotlin is a useful, open-source, free, statically created “logical” language that was first intended for Java Virtual Machine or JVM and Android, which joins the object-oriented & practical programming features.
It’s centered on interoperability, lucidity, security, and tooling support. Hence, for other person doing Android development, the upsides of Kotlin is quite convincing. Time taken for the Java developer to learn the Kotlin language is some hours.
I hope this list of the best Kotlin books can make it easy and effortless for beginners and even experienced developers to learn the Kotlin language in the right way. We truly hope you have found this useful to learn a new language!
