As I've heard before, and agree with.

Don't just read a book. Read it once. Then read it again, and with the samples, TYPE IN THE CODE and RUN it. Even if they provide sample programs, do it yourself.

Run it. When it fails, figure out why, or just type it in, again! Meaning, erase what you did, first.

When it works, then move on to the next chapter of the book.

It doesn't help to read books, without DOING things. Learning HOW to debug properly is probably the most important facet of programming.