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GadgetMan, the previous posters have it right I think, the book should keep you "captive" for a longer period of time than just five minutes.
In my opinion, the point of fiction is to trigger emotions in the reader. To do that the reader has to identify/empathise with one or more characters enough so that the reader cares what happens to them.
If the reader cares then the reader will be curious to know what happens (or in some cases when the ending is not a secret how it happens) to the characters and how the story progresses.
Thus the reader will become so immersed, so absorbed, that a partially voluntary suspension of disbelief will take place and a part of the reader's mind will think the story and its world are real for the duration of reading.
Some stories are simply more captivating than others. Does not always make them better. But I think you should start with such stories first. In time, you may even conclude that your favourite film genre is not the same as your favourite book genre.
My suggestion would be to decide what you favourite genre of films is. Then open a Thread here in MR (preferably in Reading Recommendations) and ask people for their suggestion of the most captivating (not necessarily the best) book or books in the genre you like most.
Then try and read some of them.
You are probably right in your last post insofar that your mind needs to adjust a little but the fiction reading "muscle" can be exercised better with a captivating book.
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