When I first started using R, my code looked just like MATLAB code. I read an intro to R programming, did some data analysis using R, and I was using the arrow assignment operator! But otherwise, my R code looked very much like MATLAB. Then I read Advanced R by Hadley Wickham. I found out, while I wasn't doing anything wrong, I wasn't getting the most out of R.
Advanced R is very readable if you've used R and maybe some other programming experience. If you're self-taught in R and have no other programming experience, you may find the book a bit tough. The book does a great job describing the important features and how to make the most of them. I particularly liked the chapter on functions and the section on functional programming.
I highly recommend it!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1466586966/ref=cm_sw_su_dp?tag=devtools-20
Update: A commenters pointed out there is a new version of the book out. The link is below.
https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Second-Chapman-Hall-CRC/dp/0815384572/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=11FT84CEP3CE0YQ6XYBJ