[davidcuddeback]

The best telescope is the one you'll use often. I'd caution against the "bigger is better" advice. There are several reasons that's not always true. Larger telescopes are heavier, less portable, take longer to reach thermal equilibrium, and are more susceptible to atmospheric turbulence. They will also require a more substantial mount and more counterweights, which adds more weight and expense. I have a 4-inch refractor and an 11-inch SCT, and I get more use out of the refractor. I get even more use out of binoculars.

Which equipment is best for you also depends on what you want to get out of the hobby, your budget, and what you have space for. I'd recommend joining the forums at cloudynights.com and reading through the myriad of threads asking the same question, and you'll start to get an idea of what the trade-offs are. Also, find a local astronomy club so you can meet like-minded individuals who are eager to share their knowledge. Many clubs organize public viewing nights. If you can attend one of those, you'll be able to look through other people's telescopes to see what resonates with you.

If you're really itching to buy some equipment right away, I'd recommend a pair of 10x50 binoculars. Binoculars on a parallelogram mount and a zero-gravity chair is a very comfortable (and inexpensive) way to enjoy the night sky. And the equipment is portable enough to take with you on a camping trip. Binoculars and a zero-gravity chair is how I was observing the moon last night, even though I have the refractor and SCT. The setup time is nearly non-existent, which makes it easy to pop outside for a quick view.

Edited to add: You asked about books. I think you're smart to ask about reading material, because learning about what's in the night sky brings more joy to the hobby. (Equipment isn't everything.) One thing I'd recommend in addition to books is the Astronomy League's Master Observer program: https://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/master/master.html. It will introduce you to a breadth of objects. I like to read about each object (usually on the internet) as I'm checking them off the list. I learn more about them when I pair observing with reading.

[buescher]

The Astronomical League's material is generally excellent. They also have a nice introductory manual and observing program for beginners called the Universe Sampler: https://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/univsamp/univsamp.ht... https://store.astroleague.org/index.php?main_page=product_in...

[davidcuddeback]

I didn't know about the Universe Sampler. Great suggestion!

[davidcuddeback]

You could also look into astronomy classes at a local community college. I took an intro to astronomy class at a community college when I was about 18. I think it cost about $4 at the time, and I learned a lot of basics that way. You'll learn about the celestial sphere and constellations. You'll learn basic terminology: right ascension, declination, hour angle, sidereal time, celestial pole, ecliptic, meridian, transit, opposition, conjunction (inferior and superior), quadrature, elongation, occultation, and more. You'll learn the basic geometry of how things are oriented and move in the night sky, lunar phases, orbits, etc. It's a good starting point, and then you could subscribe to something like Sky & Telescope and understand much of the material.