Books , books!

Welcome to another Sunday Stealing where the sin of theft  is not as bad as you might think!
At least not in the sense  you've come to view it.  Bev Sykes makes it  a fun little Sunday set of questions that are always thought provoking.
Here then, is this week's set of questions and my answers.  Join in.. the link is at the bottom!

 This is from Books Traveler.

Authors you never get tired of reading:

Robert Parker, "the dean of American crime fiction" and author of the Spenser and Jesse Stone series.
Jesse Stone was played in the TV series by  Tom Selleck and Spenser on TV was Robert Urich.

Another choicie would be the wonderful Agatha Christie, the world's  best selling author .
 
I am also a fan of Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club, Hundred Secret Senses,etc.  I find her mother /daughter themes very well done.

A book you bought for the cover, and discovered it was better than you thought

44 Charles Street by Danielle Steele. I enjoyed it enough to read it many times.

Also, The Starlite Drive-In  by Marjorie Reynolds was surprisingly good!

 

 A book that made you laugh and cry, and made you depressed

 If a book even comes close to making me cry or feel depressed it figuratively goes into the garbage. Life is hard enough without adding to its woes with sappy, maudlin books and movies. No tear jerkers!!

A book that was a pleasant surprise
 Our Hears were Young and Gay by Cornelia Otis Skinner and Emily Kimbrough, which I read for a subject in a public speaking course. It was really delightful. It is the true story of two innocent young women abroad on a 1920's European excursion  Having just graduated from Bryn Mawr, they were eager to see the world.
  If you get a chance to read this or even to see the movie made about from the book, take it!
 
A book everyone loves that you don’t:
The Harry Potter series and books of that ilk that became cult-like in their appeal. The Ann Rice junk, and books by Stephen King.  Ugh! There are a number of these kinds of book series that I find disturbingly popular.  I find nothing redeeming in them or their influence on readers.
Now, note that I make a distinction between book subjects I find questionable or not to my liking and the talent and ability of the writer. In both cases above, the writing is wonderful. They are truly talented but I dislike the genre.

A book with a great sidekick that you like more than the hero'
 I can't think of a thing in this category. But on reflection, I will say that while I didn't like him better
than the hero, I did enjoy the character of Hawk in the Spenser series. 
I just found out that there may well be a redo of the old Spenser for Hire series that will star Mark Walberg.  I can't wait!

A book that helped you through a difficult time
The bible 

A book that taught you something valuable
I have to say the bible yet again.
 
A book or series that it took you awhile to get intoMost books. I did not like to read when I was young. Comic books were fine , magazines were fine but books were something I couldn't be bothered with at all.  I didn't care for reading at all even though I was a good reader, had good reading comprehension and fluency. I think books were too wordy for me and that is why I so enjoyed the writing of Robert Parker: he got to the point quickly!
Odd for someone who majored in Radio and TV journalism and was an editor in chief and a managing editor of a radio station. I also ghost authored 5 novels. What is wrong with this picture?

A fictional character you’d love to have to dinner.
Spenser , Hercule Poirot or Miss Jane Marple. Cooking for Poirot would constitute a major challenge.