Realism

Here's an obvious one: reading is a great way to pass time while waiting for plot. Plot like a cab that takes its sweet time, but could be just around the corner.
Am well into Linden MacIntyre's Giller-winner, The Bishop's Man. It's a thoughtful, engaging and deeply honest reflection on the horrific reality of abusive priests. Told from the pov of Father Duncan MacAskill, the story succeeds admirably in revealing and exploring the consequences of the actions of a few--not only for the victims, but for clergy undeservedly tarred with the same brush.
The novel is a wonderfully true-to-life depiction of the Cape Breton community where it's set, and MacIntyre's storytelling voice is rich and funny and wise. You can hear his journalism at work here, both in the style and structure, which intersperses a sort of interview/documentary approach with Fr. Duncan's interior reflections.
Best of all, the book humanizes the priest at its centre. Fr Duncan is a flesh and blood individual whose struggles with faith and commitment fully engage our empathy. He's exactly the kind of priest--a genuine human being with faults and frailties like everyone else--whose suffering is only second to the victims of abuse.
And isn't this what fiction should do, venturing into dimensions where journalism cannot?
Amen.