“Oh look at this guy reading a BOOK at the cafe, he must think he’s sooooo cool! I get he thinks a woman will sleep with him cuz he’s so smart and cultured.”
Or maybe my roommate is having their partner over and they kicked me out and I’d rather do this than just be on my fucking phone for two hours?
The last time I read a book in public, three different people came up to me to say how much they liked the book, but there was no negative reaction. It was Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler, and it was in one of the DC airports.