According to the blurb, today celebrates the day that Penguin started publishing paperbacks in 1935.
Looked at from a distance, paperbacks were sort of the cassettes or CDs of the print world—the bridge between OG books and electronic storage. Paperbacks filled a need in World War II—being lighter and easier to tote around made them popular with soldiers—and with folks facing evacuation. They maintained their popularity postwar because those same attributes made them desirable for public transportation.
Paul McCartney has said he was thinking of Penguin when he wrote the Beatles’ tenth No. 1 hit, although that song emphasizes the pre-paperback author query. Without paperbacks, it’s possible romance novels wouldn’t have taken off like they did. Ditto the “beach read.”
Sadly, however, paperbacks, are going the way of the CD and DVD. Book sales overall fluctuate, but physical book sales are in a steady decline and paperbacks are no exception.
Reverse the trend! Buy a book!
Arwen Adams Bicknell 
I know I’m in the minority and I will likely lose coolness points, but I prefer digital. It’s easier to store many books in a small location. Additionally, because I mostly read at night, I prefer having the lit background, rather than having to fool with a book light. Plus, in all honesty, sometimes the digital copy is cheaper. As an author, I am sure that doesn’t make you happy. But, I’m 56, got bad eyes, and if I want to read, I do it at night before bed. The rest of my day has no margin for reading. I’m too busy playing golf, video games, and watching Netflix! 🙂