In middle school, we were read Homer's Odyssey, and were tasked with memorizing and reciting folk stories. As an adult, I read short stories and novellas to my wife. It's a valuable intellectual and creative muscle to exercise, along with silent reading and writing. It also helps with public speaking.
some things are _meant_ to be read aloud because they were written that way one way or another. For the majority of history, it was the norm, either in consumption, authorship, or both.
Poetry is meant to be spoken, with rare exception. Written records of oral-first material, from the hobbit to the epistles (it's in the name!) to the just so stories (also in the name!) are all meant to be read aloud.
Some works, nearly all of which are 20th c. or later, are meant to be read silently, and are actively hard to read out loud.
my wife and I sometimes do bedtime reading to each other where either she reads an english story, or I read one in her mother tongue: fun, social, and (often) even educational!
things written without a care towards euphony. I think fantasy/scifi that clearly never intends anyone to attempt to _pronounce_ the names of characters or locations fall into this, but other things do too.
I've read the entire harry potter series aloud to my kids. I don't think I have spoken so many words in my life. My throat would be raw after long chapters.
