I loved both Nand2Tetris and Coding the Matrix, although I had different experiences with them. For Coding the Matrix, I didn't buy the book, but just watched the videos and worked through the course work. This was super fun, but I could see someone who was not proficient in python getting really frustrated. I took it the first time it was run as well, and there were a couple of rough areas, but overall it was really enjoyable.

With Nand2Tetris, I just bought the book and worked through it without taking a class. I'd sketch out the hardware literally on the back of napkins and then try it in the simulator when I got home. It was incredibly fun, and I loved how it took everything down to first principles.