Who loves their bed? Who loves books? Who loves reading in bed? I put my hand up for all three. If you’re like me, then you know how awesome it is to read while you’re tucked into bed. There’s a word for our kind. From now on, we shall each be known as a librocubicularist.
Meaning: someone who reads in bed.
Origin: from the Latin words liber, which means “book”, and cubiculum, meaning “bedroom”. The word itself is not very old, perhaps being invented by American writer Christopher Morley in his 1919 novel, The Haunted Bookshop.
Example: Your grandfather is such a librocubicularist! He keeps me up all night with that bedside lamp and loud page-turning.
Reading in bed is so pleasant. I almost always read before going to sleep. Studies show that there are benefits to reading at bedtime. But a word of caution here: I’m talking about reading printed books, not reading from a screen—and social media definitely doesn’t count as appropriate bedtime reading material! There are actually negative consequences of viewing screens before bed. And besides, books smell better.
