In addition to everything @enbyboiwonder said, we also have a Visual Novel Club here in the forums, so make sure to check them out:
They are currently voting on the next visual novel they will read together, and I can wholeheartedly recommend this as everybody helps each other with any questions that may come up. Also, the visual novels that are currently being voted on have been proposed with a short description and (I think) a rough difficulty assessment, so you can get a better impression on what to expect.
Enjoy! 