Reddit mentions of Buddhism for Beginners

Pema Chodron is a Tibetan Buddhist author who has written a lot of books that are accessible for newcomers. I haven't read this one in particular, but she has a book called No Time To Lose, which is based on a highly influential classic in Mahayana Buddhism called Bodhisattvacharyavatara (A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life).

Here is the amazon link for Pema Chodron's book:

http://www.amazon.com/No-Time-Lose-Timely-Bodhisattva/dp/1590304241/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Traleg Kyabgon recently published a book all about karma and rebirth titled Karma: What It Is, What It Isn't, Why It Matters. When people ask me about emptiness, rather than a book, I prefer to direct them to this nifty little website:

http://emptinessteachings.com/introduction-to-buddhist-emptiness/

Other helpful writers are Thubten Chodron (Buddhism for Beginners), the Dalai Lama, and Mingyur Rinpoche.

If you want a heavier book that explains all the various things that Tibetan Buddhists do, you can get A Complete Guide to The Buddhist Path. I don't think you can practice much with this book, but once you're finished with it you'll be reasonably informed about how Tibetan Buddhism operates.

Welcome!! My advice would be to read something about Buddhism generally (covering Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions as well as high-level Buddhist thought) and then read an introduction to meditation or use one of the more secular mindfulness apps to get your feet wet.

Intro to Buddhism: Buddhism for Beginners by Thubten Chodron
Thubten Chodron is a well-known Tibetan Buddhist nun, but this book does a great job of staying high-level and presenting Buddhism as a whole

Intro to Meditation: Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening by Joseph Goldstein
Joseph Goldstein is probably one of the world's most renowned meditation teachers, and this book is an excellent introduction that also covers Buddhist teachings more generally. Joseph's background is primarily based in the Theravada traditions.

For guided meditation apps, I have used Headspace and 10% Happier. Both are great and offer a free trial period with meditations for beginners.

You can try Buddhism for Beginners by Thubten Chodron, a highly reviewed book with recommendations from leading Buddhist figures like the Dalai Lama. Once you're a little more familiar with basic Buddhist concepts, you can try more in-depth books such as The World of Tibetan Buddhism: An Overview of Its Philosophy and Practice by the Dalai Lama, if you're interested in more detailed philosophical explanations of Buddhism. For lighter books that focus on applying a few core Buddhist concepts to everyday life, there's quite a few bestsellers by the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh to check out. If you eventually take an interest in the Vajrayana aspect of Buddhism, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche is the author to go - he also has an intro to Buddhism-ish book called What Makes You NOT a Buddhist, which is another highly reviewed & recommended book.

Edit: https://studybuddhism.com/ is also a great source, founded by a longtime Western student of the Dalai Lama.

Source: Longtime Buddhist practitioner with exposure to both the Chinese & Tibetan Buddhist traditions. I tend to suggest books by authors who are both highly experienced in the philosophy and practice of a certain lineage, because I feel that a lot of books where the author is only knowledgeable about philosophy are just... really lacking in quality, to be honest. Buddhist philosophy is great, but it's the practice of it that really brings these philosophies alive.