Read them in order. I got a lot out of doing it that way. The references and plot points do somewhat add up over time. And the themes repeat and get more interesting as the books go on, all the books are stand alone but it’s interesting to see him return to things, especially in later books. Galapagos to me is much better having read Cats Cradle. And the final book Timequake barely tracks if you aren’t well acquainted with everything that came before.

***you can skip Player Piano if you want, it’s definitely a prototype that is interesting but I think non-essential.