I'm apparently the lone dissenter on these forums regarding Hitchens. I don't particularly care for his written work but really enjoy him as a speaker. But preference of authors is a very personal thing and not everyone will agree about who is better than whom.
As for book recs:
Victor Stenger for books about the intersection of science and God
Dawkins for books about evolution
As for book recs:
Victor Stenger for books about the intersection of science and God
Dawkins for books about evolution
Teenaged X-Files obsession + Bermuda Triangle episode + Self-led school research project = Atheist.