So, I have reached 3500 words and have been using CI for like 50 days and what I observed is I know only around 500 words.
As I have OCD, so following a structure for me is kind of important. So, I am here looking for best German Grammar books.
I did download Hammer’s German Grammar but I think that book is pretty dense. So, yeah looking for recommendations here!
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it is written by using English so I guess you can read it. Also, a free copy you can download from here. Dont use Hammers it will confuse you.
Here is a tip from my side. 70% Grammar in German is simple. Learn all tenses, present, past, pefekt, future I future II, etc there are 70+ connectors (because, therefore, thus , while, instead of) etc…some will take verb position at the end of the sentence(weil ich krank bin), some will take verb position before subject(deshalb komme ich) and some will take verb position after subject(aber ich schaffe es). or you can consult ollys books
Ollys Books That address Grammar concepts through Storytelling
relative clauses/relativesatze(who. whom, whose, that etc) follow a particular structure and are formed differently in all 4 cases(nominative, genitive, accusative, dativ). There is a table. Therefore, you can create many sentences with relative clauses through CHATGPT. And observe how they are formed.
Every noun follows a corresponding article, die der das…
ex: Die Zeit schreitet stetig voran. (Always consider Die Zeit as one word!) this way you will remember the correct article that goes with the noun.
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I’m a huge fan of Hammer’s…but it is not a book you read. Nor should you really be “reading” grammar books, especially at early stages, which you still are. What I do is only look up a grammar item if I notice something while reading and I find it interesting. Like the structure of a sentence, or why is it using “bei” or “mit” or dative or accusative. That’s when I think you are better able to absorb a small explanation of grammar.
I’ve not read the one asad links to but have heard it recommended before.
Another option could be something like Assimil German or Teach Yourself Complete German. These will give you tidbits of grammar that occur within the lessons themselves, so the grammar concepts are “timely”, rather than throwing all the grammar at you at once.
Assimil German has a summary chapter as well every 7 chapters that reviews all of the grammar points made throughout the 6 previous lessons. This is nice. There is also a “full” grammar section at the back of the book. Much lighter than Hammer’s.
I would suggest the “superpack” which comes with audio for the lessons, but you can also just get the standalone book if you prefer.
There is a version of the above with usb - but on Amazon that is $130 right now (outrageous). I noticed on the Assimil sight there is a version with the book + downloadable usb, but it says out of stock currently.
There’s also plenty of online grammar resources:
Grammar Review (dartmouth.edu)
Another thing I’ve been doing lately if I just want a quick explanation about a sentence or a phrase is to use ChatGPT. Use the prompt: “Can you explain the grammar in this German sentence: ”. Chat GPT will break it up, give the meaning of the words in context and the explanation of the grammar. It’s not 100% always perfect but overall I think it does a nice enough job and it’s quick to get an explanation.
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I follow the adge to not explicitly learn grammar, rather I look up elements of grammar as and when I don’t understand why a sentence is as it is. Sometimes I never figure it out. I use Talk German Grammar by BBC books. It’s small, cheap and beautifully clear. But it is not a book to read, it is a reference book. I also have a Collins German grammar book that stinks, I struggle to find what I want in it, and I’m sure I’ve found some common grammar is missing.
I’m a relative beginner in German so I make no claims that my approach is optimal.
I suspect it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the basic concepts of German grammar, especially the case system and the position of the verb. As far as I can see Germans move the verb around in a random manner to confuse foreigners. 
There are plenty of introductions online. Learning grammar explicitly is in the opinion of many not a good idea.
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Consider looking for a structure closer to CI.
Read x words a day (500, 300, whatever).
Have a structure for when you know/ recognise etc. words. I now largely only rate them as known when I recognise them once, even a few sentences later.
It’s normal to recognise words and later forget them. Can this be acceptable to you? Perhaps just put them back to 4, not 5, or whatever.
For me and Greek, recognition, not grammar is core. Volume of words read drives everything.
Rally recognising what your OCD is saying. “I don’t think this is a 5” doesn’t have to lead to “Learn grammar”.
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I’ve had good luck with the Routledge Colloquial series. Unless you can find a used book on ebay, the books are fairly expensive but you can download the audio for free from the website and upload it into LingQ. That way I can work through the material in my normal reading rotation.
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