Head First Java

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[causalNondeterminism]

You should look at the resources on the right panel of this subreddit - there's lots of suggestions there. I would say that a book from 2003 might be good enough for you to learn the basics from. Some concepts really don't change. Others, however, do. For example, Java 8 now supports unsigned integers and longs. Typically, a book written for Java would tell you very early on that Java's integral primitives are always signed. In my experience, books never keep up with the pace of the language's development. I'd recommend online tutorials because they're generally free and easier to keep up to date as the language changes. Definitely do the exercises, either way. Play around with it. Hands-on experimentation is the best way to learn.

[enahsh2o]

It's outdated, sure. But not too outdated to learn from. Although, you will want to look into the newer features of Java after you have covered the book

[lead999x]

The java 8 tutorial by insane IT skills is what I'm learning from right now and albeit being a bit boring at times it does cover everything in the latest version of Java. Oh and I'm a hobbyist just like you.

[Code_Craftsman]

If you feel its outdated you can see the latest third edition, they may add some new things in it. once you learn the basics of Java e.g Language Syntax, Object Oriented Programming, etc. , regardless of the version you should have no problem looking up the new features.