What Makes a Good Book?

Doing all of these reviews has got me thinking more about literature and reading in general. So what makes a book worth reading? There are all those obvious elements like plot, character, conflict, etc. I want to think about the little things that distinguish an average book from one that's great.

1) Immersive experience
Whether through world building, exciting plot, or character development, a book should make the real world disappear for the reader. Great books make the reader forget that she is reading a book.

2) Different from real life
The author should create a story where everything makes sense and nothing happens randomly. If I'm taking the time to read the book, I want to be reading something well thought out. Unlike real life (where things happen all the time for no reason), a book should have internal justice and a coherent plot.

Books can take advantage of symbolism, because the author adds symbolism intentionally. (If the main character is in a bad mood, and it's raining outside, that's relevant. In real life, the weather isn't a barometer for the emotions of people.) Authors can use various elements like foreshadowing, and the reader understands that these elements will work in a certain way, based on what it means to be reading a story.

Only important or useful actions need to be mentioned. An author doesn't have to tell us every time a character uses the bathroom or brushes her teeth. We can assume these things are happening, even if it's not explicitly mentions.

3) But not too different from real life
However, a book must be relatable. If I hate a main character of a book, there should be a good reason for it, so that I can still enjoy the story. Ditto if the main character is an idiot. Unless there's going to be some great character development going on, I don't want to spend a lot of time with a character I don't like.

4) Imaginative
If a book must be different from real life, it follows that the author must use her imagination when writing. I've noticed that great books are always really strange, not just the science fiction or fantasy ones, which you might expect to be unlike the real world. It's stuff you would never expect to happen in your own life. Real life is comfortable, but boring. And indeed, most good stories happen around conflict, when stressful things are happening to all of the characters. This stress and strangeness are what make books interesting.