Does someone have a non-textbook analogy to explain elements of a circuit?
A water flow analogy is classic and quite good a long way into electric circuit understanding. Think of water flowing in a pipe system. This is somewhat hard to adjust into the AC-area, tough, but worth a mention for DC and a good starting point.

Analogies for some definitions:


Charge \$[\mathrm{C}]\$ \$\longrightarrow\$ Amount of water \$[\mathrm{kg}]\$
Current \$[\mathrm{C/s}]\$ \$\longrightarrow\$ Water flow rate \$[\mathrm{kg/s}]\$
Potential \$[\mathrm{J/C}]\$ \$\longrightarrow\$ Pressure \$[\mathrm{Pa}]\$


Voltage or Potential difference \$[\mathrm{J/C}]\$ \$\longrightarrow\$ Difference in pressure \$[\mathrm{Pa}]\$

Resistance \$[\mathrm{\Omega}]\$ \$\longrightarrow\$ A narrow part of a pipe or a mill wheel.


(In this context, see this other answer: https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/161650/could-someone-intuitively-explain-to-me-ohms-law/161701#161701)

Analogies for the circuit parts:


Capacitor \$\longrightarrow\$ A total blocking of the pipe with an elastic membrane (No water ever passes the membrane, but build up pressure on one side makes it expand and "push" the opposing side with equal pressure but the force directed the opposite way)
Diode \$\longrightarrow\$ A one-way ball-valve (A diode prevents charge in one direction but permits without resistance in the other direction)
Battery \$\longrightarrow\$ A pump returning water back to a starting point.
Operational amplifier (Op amp) \$\longrightarrow\$ A pump rising the pressure (placed at a point in the pipe circuit).
Transistor \$\longrightarrow\$ An adjustable valve (transistors are "adjusters" where a small signal can make large changes in current/voltage)
Inductor \$\longrightarrow\$ A heavy mill wheel (at first it doesn't move, but after some time it does and doesn't give resistance to the flow anymore.)