Good Literature vs Good Stories

okay so i had a conversation with my boss about books and it got me thinking..what defines a great writer. Shakespeare was obviously a fantastic writer. However, I dont enjoy reading his plays. this also applies to many of the other novels we are FORCED to read for school. yes they are well written, yet the story is bland. i find myself way more drawn into books that are not written as well, but have a MUCH better plot. so which books are worth reading more? do we learn anything from "true" literature? or is a book simply just a book? merely something to be read and enjoyed.