One of the most surprising sights I see as I
make my way around San Francisco is the astounding number of people who
are reading in public. Reading books and working on laptops. Reading in
bookstores that have chairs and in countless coffee shops.
I know of no evidence that book sales are growing. It may be true, but not based on major publisher's actual sales.
My hypothesis is that reading in public is simply a way for people who work at home, to get out of the house and feel sociable.
The same reason people have traditionally gone to pubs and bars.