Steven Gregory
I have a bachelor's in writing and a master's in literature, which has created a real dislike for purely academic and educational interpretations of literary works. A book is good not because it meets some literary requirement, can be analyzed to death, or whatever, but because you enjoy it when you start, you enjoy it while reading it, and when you're done with it you still enjoy it. The best books are those that make you feel better when you reach the end, regardless of whether or not they survive "the test of time." I've read and enjoyed books from just about every genre, and believe that a good story with good characters (even ones you enjoy not liking) is the best kind of story.
I'm a fan of Joseph Campbell, though I find his books hard to read from a purely enjoyable standpoint -- his audio presentations are far more enjoyable. I'm not big on poetry, but value prose that has its own rhythm and creates images far beyond the literal words.
My two favorite reading companions (brother and sister cats I had since they were 6 weeks old) have passed on to the great library in the sky. They're likely keeping critters off the shelves and are still not fans of academic literature either.
“The fight is not always to the strongest nor the race always to the swiftest. And even if the playing field is not level, the "little guy" is going to win every now and again.”
“The stories told by ancient peoples from which we are descended have managed to put into pleasant and entertaining words what we’ve been repeating ever since in living rooms, courts, churches, and therapy sessions. The “life tips” that we seek have been there for us all along.”