So I am a historical illiterate and I want to know about history just for the sake of knowledge, but don't know where to even start. Like I seriously know nothing important about history. I don't really know if I should read a book that compiles world history, or different books focused on specific places and time periods. I want books or any type of sources that are basic but that are still rich in content for a general audience I guess. So if there are must-reads that anyone can recommend or if there is a list made by the sub for absolute beginners in history, I would appreciate that a lot. Thanks.
Books claiming to compile world history tend to be either inaccurate or overwhelming by the number of details and the scale of the topic. After all, writing about hundreds of years in only a few hundred pages is challenging and sacrifices on the accuracy or the literary style are bound to happen.
The best way for you to start somewhere is to start with something that you're interested in. It can be a history of your country or of a certain broad topic like Roman history. Or, you can also go for a narrower topic. Say... the history of food and eating practices in a certain region of the world at a certain era. Even when studying history academically, it can be a little daunting to read and learn about a topic that does not interest us, yet it is necessary, and for good reasons.
So, in your case, make it as fun as possible by reading about things that may interest you. This way, you will also discover new topics that you will like. Happily, AskHistorians has a great booklist you can take a look at. It is classified by region and themes. There are also other great resources such as websites and documentaries. The AskHistorians FaQ can also help you to find book recommendations in the answers to these frequent questions that you may also be asking yourself.
Another great way to start is to go to a library or a bookstore and browse the history section to see if something catches your eye. Chances are someone working in that store or library knows about history (it's not always the case though) and can help you decide what to read. So, as a final note, don't make it a chore, make it fun and interesting.
Stuff like The Great Courses, or even taking a class at your local community college or the like, might be a good place to start.
I haven't listened to any kind of Great Courses lectures on World History or anything extremely general like what you seem like you're looking for, but the ones I've listened to on Classical/ancient world history (The History Of Ancient Egypt, Greece And Rome: An Integrated History Of The Ancient Mediterranean, Foundations Of Eastern Civilization, I also think I listened to one about Everyday Life In The Classical World but don't recall if that was the title/what the exact scope was) have been pretty solid. Maybe at the accuracy and rigor level of a good high school history class or basic college/university history course.
Start with a broad history of the world, like E. H. Gombrich's A Little History of the World, or Bill Brysons A Short History of Nearly Everything.
Then you'll have a basic grounding. Note the parts or people you're really interested in and buy specific books on that era, location, or biography of that person.
Do you currently have a period, location, or person that you could use as a starting point?
All of history is linked and intertwined. So if you read about it you'll learn something new and interesting and can then move into that. And so forth till you'll find yourself 500 years from where you started.