Honestly, it's hard to just learn from books. YouTube videos are that personal connect if you are a lone developer. It feels like you are working with whomever is in video
Even if you only study/work on your own, there are conferences, meetups, user groups, social/networking events, etc... That gives you the added bonus of being more than just a blip in the view count of the person you're learning from. Worst case, even if there aren't any in-person options in your area, try forums/chat rooms/etc... with a focus on your subject(s) of interest (especially if they're more learning focused ones rather than just social -- the communities around many of the MOOC and online bootcamp programs come to mind.)