30+ Bestselling HTML Books That Will Make You a Professional

Most of us have been used to the computer technology-related term HTML since schooling, right? Our journey with HTML books started early as the oldest and easiest language to learn. They act as a base to create a canvas of text images and other creative elements for a web page. This blog lists some of the best HTML books that one must read to become a proficient developer.

Introduction to HTML

All that goes into your beginner or simple webpage can be done using HyperText Markup Language or HTML. This language has been a boon to budding tech enthusiasts to larger firms who enjoy using HTML, from building their landing pages to career websites.

W3Techs says the latest version of the HTML5 series is used by 90.7% out of 94.6% of HTML users. Some of its great features are

1. Markup replaced with semantic markup approach

2. Plugin less wholesome media experience

3. Extended storage

4. More accessible and responsive

5. Design elements separated from content

6. Simpler syntax and easy to use

7. Better functionality for SEO

Trending HTML books down the years

From the developer’s point of view, it has always been learning about web development in general. Two other popular languages, CSS and JavaScript, play equal roles in software development. And hence you can see it even in some of the book structures.

A single HTML book alone may not fit all your needs. Hence using HTML for content building, CSS to improve its design, and Javascript to make webpages more interactive is a deadly combo.

HTML books for beginners

1. Learn HTML for Beginners: The illustrated guide to Coding

This book claims to enrich the user experience with a step-by-step visual approach. Some topics covered include understanding HTML tags, elements, styles, forms, lists, and more.

Reader Rating: 4.7/5

Author: Jo Foster

2. Head First HTML and CSS

It has both how and why approaches towards HTML learning and implementation. It covers HTML and CSS coding properties from fundamental concepts to modern programming conventions.

Reader Rating: 4.6/5

Author: Elisabeth Robson and Eric Freeman

3. HTML and CSS Quick Start guide.

It consists of up-to-date web design techniques and useful snippets (in HTML) as examples. It helps readers with extensive hands-on experience and result-oriented teaching methods.

Reader Rating: 4.6/5

Author: David Durocher

4. HTML CSS in 8 hours

A complete guide to all HTML and CSS basics with a ton of hands-on exercises. It covers all the basics you need to know when starting HTML & CSS.

Reader Rating: 4.6/5

Author: Ray Yao

5. HTML5: The missing manual

This jargon-free book is a great guide to HTML5 beginners. This book will teach you to use video tools, dynamic drawings, and more for your web app.

Reader Rating: 4.6/5

Author: Matthew MacDonald

6. Learning Web Design: A Beginner’s Guide to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Web Graphics.

This is an excellent beginner-friendly guide to getting started with the basics of HTML and web page development. It also helps the developers with Git, SVG graphics, and other tools.

Reader Rating: 4.6/5

Author: Jennifer Niederst Robbins

7. HTML5 in easy steps

Many readers recommend this book as a starting point for HTML5. It covers topics including hyperlinks, building input forms, and more.

Reader Rating: 4.6/5

Author: Mike McGrath

8. Get Coding: Learn HTML, CSS & JavaScript & Build a Website, App & Game

This book is a creation by the kids for the kids for fun learning HTML and its basic codes. With these basics you can create webapp or games easily.

Reader Rating: 4.5/5

Author: Young Rewired State

9. HTML for beginners: Crash Course

This book claims to be your ABC guide for HTML coding. It covers topics on attributes, phrase tags, meta tags and more.

Reader Rating: 4.2/5

Author: Quick Start Guides

10. HTML: Learn front-end development

It is a complete explanatory guide for HTML with appropriate tags and examples. It allows novice developers to devise their own website with all the necessary tags.

Reader Rating: 4/5

Author: Darshan Magdum

HTML books for intermediates

1. Ultra HTML Reference: An in-depth reference book for the HTML programming language

It is an up-to-date reference guide to brush up on the core web basics. It gives every update on latest HTML versions like suitable tags and more.

Reader Rating: 4.7/5

Author: Michael Abelar

2. HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites

This book is an easy read and creates a concrete base if you have zero to minimal HTML and CSS experience.

Reader Rating: 4.6/5

Author: Jon Duckett

3. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript All in One

This book gives the knowledge integration of the super three developmental languages with jQuery.

Reader Rating: 4.6/5

Author: Julie C. Meloni

4. A Smarter Way to Learn HTML & CSS: Learn it fast, Remember it longer.

This book offers a learn-as-you-do approach with tons of interactive online exercises. Everyone can understand this book as it offers courses in plain, non-technical language.

Reader Rating: 4.6/5

Author: Mark Myers

5. Murach's HTML5 and CSS 3

This book covers all the dos and do-nots of the latest versions of HTML and CCS. This book has 8 chapters and helps everyone from web designers to rookies.

Reader Rating: 4.3/5

Author: Zak Ruvalcaba, Anne Boehm

6. HTML5: Up and Running

This book offers up-to-date practical experience on HTML5 and dozens of code snippets. It covers topics such as how to include multimedia on your website.

Reader Rating: 4/5

Author: Mark Pilgrim

7. The Definitive Guide to HTML5

This book goes one step above HTML5 and explains all the solutions and queries related to website creation.

Reader Rating: 4/5

Author: Adam Freeman

8. HTML5 Canvas

It is a get-started guide for HTML5 canvas that allows you to create exciting multimedia applications.

Reader Rating: 3.9/5

Author: Jeff Fulton, Steve Fulton

9. Introducing HTML5

This book claims to provide its readers with real-time examples on HTML5 with a touch of fun to make learning interesting.

Reader Rating: 3.9/5

Author: Bruce Lawson, Remy Sharp

10. HTML5: Designing Rich Internet Applications

This book teaches you all that is new in HTML5, from multimedia to interactive design templates.

Reader Rating: 3.3/5

Author: Matthew David

HTML books for experienced developers

1. Web Design with HTML, CSS, JavaScript and jQuery Set 1st Edition.

It is a two-set book that offers readers the most modern front-end development. If you want to venture into JavaScript and jQuery, this book will be a precursor.

Reader Rating: 4.7/5

Author: Jon Duckett

2. HTML5 and CSS3 All-in-One For Dummies

This all-in-one guide to HTML ad CSS makes readers know the best of two worlds to use them better together.

Reader Rating: 4.6/5

Author: Andy Harris

3. Web Design Playground: HTML & CSS the Interactive Way

It helps developers of all levels, from creating a basic HTM code to interactive web pages.

Reader Rating: 4.6/5

Author: Paul Mcfedries

4. Responsive Web Design with HTML5 and CSS

This book is a guide to creating web pages that must be responsive to all platforms, especially mobile phones.

Reader Rating: 4.5/5

Author: Ben Frain

5. HTML CSS: Interview Exam, Certification exam 100 Question & Answers

This book contains informative questions and answers that help developers pass any HTML-related interview.

Reader Rating: 4.5/5

Author: Ray Yao

6. Learning Web App Development

This book offers readers the knowledge and skills to build a simple database-backed app from scratch.

Reader Rating: 4.4/5

Author: Semmy Purewal

7. Learning PHP, MySQL & JavaScript: With jQuery, CSS & HTML5 (Learning PHP, MYSQL, Javascript, CSS & HTML5)

This book is of great help if you want to take your basic HTML skills to the next level. It also teaches experienced developers to use different languages like PHP, CSS together.

Reader Rating: 4.4/5

Author: Robin Nixon

8. HTML5 Black Book (Covers CSS3, JavaScript, XML, XHTML, AJAX, PHP, jQuery)

This book covers all aspects of HTML5 as it is exclusively written by web professionals. This single book lets you master the whole of web technology from PHP to ASP.NET.

Reader Rating: 4.3/5

Author: Kogent Learning Solutions INC

9. How To Build Your Portfolio Website From Scratch!: Step-By-Step Training, Using Responsive HTML5, CSS3, Jquery & Photoshop.

It is an all-in-one package to start your website development immediately. This step-by-step learning approach garners self-paced learning and retention.

Reader Rating: 4.2/5

Author: Mark H Webster

10. Mastering Front-end web development

This all-in-one compilation gives its readers an experience of 200+ extensions, frameworks, and languages.

Reader Rating: 3.4/5

Author: Chong Lip Phang

Note: All the reviews mentioned above are sourced from Amazon and Goodreads.

Other Software Developmental books to lookout

Software development consists of two biggies: front-end development and back-end development. HTML as discussed above, is a part of the front-end software development.

There are two other widely-used languages and HTML to create attractive and highly responsive web pages. They are Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript (JS).

CSS as the name suggests, is used to add various styles to make your webpage more attractive. However, HTML forms the base language in which CSS is written. Together they can be used to create user-friendly and eye-pleasing web pages.

JavaScript is a high-level, lightweight programming language developed for modern-day developers. It helps in creating highly responsive and complex websites.

PHP and MySQL are a power couple in web development, where PHP is a scripting language that MySQL, an open-source database, backs.

Now let us head to knowing about the amazing books around the market that make the readers successful front-end developers.

Books for CSS

1. O'Reilly's CSS The definitive guide

2. CSS3: The missing manual

3. CSS Secrets

4. CSS Pocket Reference

Books for Javascript

1. JavaScript and JQuery: Interactive Front-End Web Development.

2. Eloquent JavaScript, 3rd Edition: A Modern Introduction to Programming/ Eloquent Javascript” for JS

3. Learn JavaScript VISUALLY with Interactive Exercises.

4. Murach’s JavaScript and jQuery (3rd Edition).

Books for PHP and MySQL

1. Murach’s PHP and MySQL (3rd Edition).

2. PHP and MySQL for Dynamic Web Sites: Visual QuickPro Guide.

Platforms that provide the best HTML Books

One can avail of these books as a hard copy or in an e-book version. These books can be handpicked from a multitude of websites and offline stores that sell them.

Some of the best-known are

1. Amazon

2. Powell’s Books

3. AbeBooks.com

4. eBay.com

5. O'Reilly. com

Things that make HTML books more efficient

Reading must be made enjoyable and, at the same time-efficient. Here are some qualities to search for in an HTML book before you read it.

• Simple and to the point use of language that suits all.
• Some books come with built-in materials like workbooks, learning activities, etc., that are of great use to beginners.
• All the technological updates must be made up to date.
• Books that provide online platforms to imbibe practical knowledge of the language.
• Clear and concise structuring of the book’s content with many reader engagement activities like FAQs and tips & tricks.

Wrapping up

Almost nearing a two-decade strut, HTML helps developers of all levels, from budding to experts. Its adaptiveness and easiness have made it the go-to language for all web development.

As it has the nature of collaborating with other development languages such as CSS and JavaScript, creating a user-friendly webpage has become a book's reach.

We Hope these HTML, CSS, and JavaScript books kindle the eagerness to learn about software development. Happy coding!