I feel ashamed at times to say that as an atheist I have never read the very popular atheist books like the God Delusion or Godless. When I left Islam I simply dropped it whole sale after a year of critical examination and moved on. I have to give credit to a bit of Islamic philosophy and reasoning for my status as a murtad. Fulsafa was very important to me and it made me heavily criticize the religion and disassociate myself from it. But I always hear of so many atheist having their lack of faith in religion/god strengthened or broken by some book that criticizes religion. Most people who I have met that leave Islam abandon it because of its pure stupidity and abuse of logical fallacies that are blatant to 5 year olds.
I am sort of old school, as the best way to become an atheist is to understand the religion you believe in. Islam and Christianity are self defeating religions. All you have to do is read the damn books.

No need to feel ashamed for not reading atheist literature.

Just not believing theist's claims that a god exists is as far as you need to go, to be an "atheist in good standing".

Although, reading a few atheist books did help me hone my arguments a bit better to more easily refute theist's arguments. Not that tough to be sure.

Bible, Book of Mormon, Dianetics, etal, can be very good primers on atheism.

Failing reading the Holy tomes, listening to a Christian or a Mormon apologist would do the trick too.

I'd like to think that reasoning your way out of the crazy is a much better way than reading a bunch of literature that defies that belief. In the end, you actually own it, and know why.

(February 20, 2017 at 9:15 pm)vorlon13 Wrote: Bible, Book of Mormon, Dianetics, etal, can be very good primers on atheism.

Failing reading the Holy tomes, listening to a Christian or a Mormon apologist would do the trick too.

Just not anything from a creationist.

Your brain will commit suicide slowly.

Not read a single one. Get bits and pieces, here and there. 

Were these guys/gals/authors/speakers around 45 years ago?

(February 20, 2017 at 8:38 pm)Simon Moon Wrote: No need to feel ashamed for not reading atheist literature.

Just not believing theist's claims that a god exists is as far as you need to go, to be an "atheist in good standing".

Although, reading a few atheist books did help me hone my arguments a bit better to more easily refute theist's arguments. Not that tough to be sure.

What arguments did you refute?

(February 20, 2017 at 8:38 pm)Simon Moon Wrote: No need to feel ashamed for not reading atheist literature.

Just not believing theist's claims that a god exists is as far as you need to go, to be an "atheist in good standing".

Although, reading a few atheist books did help me hone my arguments a bit better to more easily refute theist's arguments. Not that tough to be sure.

Well maybe it is more embarrassing because I am a bibliophile and collect books. I have read so many classics and timeless works of literature yet I have never in about 5 years touched a single book that supports my own atheism or anti-theism I should say. Maybe Nietzsche counts but I think anyone will come across him given time. 
That cosmic mustache is just lurching through the space-time continuum nabbing mankind by the crotches.

I was an atheist long before reading any atheist literature. I've read a few in the last ten years, but except for Hitchens, who imo was a gifted writer, the crop of books makes for dreary reading.