Programming books are different, trust me. You're not intended to just read them cover to cover, like with a novel. You're supposed to read it with your computer next to you, type in each example code and see what it does, and how it changes if you change the code. It's a lot less like reading a storybook and more like programming from a tutorial, or reading an instruction manual for how to build (and make mods for) your own IKEA videogame. Al Sweigart's book of arcade clones (which you can read for free on his website) is particularly fun for this.