Reddit mentions of The Dhammapada: A New Translation of the Buddhist Classic with Annotations

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802130313/

What the Buddha Taught is a good start. Its brief, its easy to read and gives you an overview of what Buddhism is about. If you like it from there, get a copy of the Dhammapada

http://www.amazon.com/Dhammapada-Translation-Buddhist-Classic-Annotations/dp/1590303806

think about getting a copy of this: Dhammapada

I went through something similar (no death - just loss) last fall and it helped me find my way through some things that I didn't know if I would ever overcome -and if you're an atheist, you don't need to accept any notions of 'god.' (not there's anything wrong with god if that's what you're into...yadda yadda)

Might I also recommend reading some original sources. Reading about Buddhism is surely good for context and all that, but you can also dive right in to what those books are about.

Thich Nhat Hanh has been mentioned here recently. His sutra translations are awesome: https://plumvillage.org/category/sutra/

I like this edition of the Dhammapada, but there are version for free online: https://www.amazon.com/Dhammapada-Translation-Buddhist-Classic-Annotations/dp/1590303806/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541179036&sr=8-1&keywords=dhammapada+book

Also check out the Lotus Sutra: https://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/lsoc/toc/

That's like the blockbuster of sutras-- it has it all! It also has some clear formulations on what's going on with Buddhism, supposedly from late in Shakyamuni's life.

What the Buddha Taught is the best "intro to Buddhism" book I've read yet, I highly recommend it. This is a book you will constantly be coming back to, if you decide to keep pursuing Buddhism that is, for it contains all of the essentials (IMO). The author also includes several key suttas given by the Buddha (several especially directed towards lay people like ourselves), and a collection of key verses from the Dhammapada (a classic Buddhist scripture). The other "Intro to Buddhism" book I will recommend is Becoming Enlightened by His Holliness the Dalai Lama, which gives an overview of the Buddhist path to Enlightenment that emphasizes the role of compassion, altruism, and wisdom.

 

For learning to meditate and practice mindfulness, I recommend Mindfulness in Plain English. What the Buddha Taught also has a great chapter on meditation and mindfulness.

 

Once you feel more comfortable with the basic principles of Buddhism, if you'd like to start reading and studying key Buddhist scriptures, I'd recommend starting with the following: In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon and The Dhammapada. The Pali Cannon in the oldest complete Buddhist cannon of scriptures that survives today. The Dhammapada is a short collection of sayings within the Pali Cannon that is thought to summarize the essence of the Buddha's teachings.

The Dhammapada is a small collection of verses that represents the gist of Buddhism well. My preferred translation is Gil Fronsdal's. Another book that might be appropriate is The Buddha Before Buddhism which is also translation of a short selection of text by Gil Fronsdal.

Learning breath meditation might be a good thing to do before heading off. Bhikkhu Thanissaro's With Each and Every Breath is a great meditation manual. Paying attention to the breath while walking can be quite pleasant.