Technology has so much advanced in such a way that you can now get a machine to read books to your hearings while you sip your wine lying down on your couch. This article will show you the nitty-gritty on how to get Alexa to read you a book bought from Kindle. Alexa can read books, and not just audiobooks but likewise eBooks too, so far it’s purchased via Amazon or the Kindle Store.
Having books read to you give you so much relief and saves your time allowing you to focus on other tasks within the same time frame. In case you are looking for a fast and simple way to listen to that Kindle book you just bought, or you have a pile of books you want to read within a short period, then this article is for you.
Alexa, the intelligent assistant can read aloud specific Kindle titles to you, since it’s just a machine, you don’t expect it to have skills matching that of a human narrator. In case you want to catch up on your present book while doing other chores, this post will guide you through how you can successfully achieve the two at a go.
However, there are specific books Alexa can read since it can’t read all the books in your Kindle library. Amazon says that Alexa can only read certain books that were purchased from the Kindle Store or borrowed from the Amazon Lending Library or Prime Reading. This article will direct you on how you can get Alexa to read you a book of your choice.
In case you have some eBooks purchased via Amazon’s Kindle service or audiobooks from Audible, you can listen to them via your Echo device. Alexa makes use of the same text-to-speech tricks while reading to you that allow Amazon’s voice assistant to read news, calendar appointments, and other items.
In case you subscribe to Audible or you just got any audiobooks, Alexa can pipe those books via your Echo device as well. You can instruct Alexa when to pause, resume, move forward, go back, or change volume. Here’s how to get Alexa to read you a book, both eBooks and audiobooks via your Echo. Read on!
How to Find an eBook to Read
You can view all your Kindle ebooks by opening the Manage Your Content and Devices page. Then, Alexa should be able to read the majority of your books, except comics and graphic novels. Your Kindle library must be connected to Alexa before you can start. Follow the steps below to find a Kindle book to read:
- Select a particular book for Alexa to read by opening the Alexa app on your mobile device.
- Click on the Play icon at the bottom of the screen.
- Swipe down the Entertainment screen and click See All at the section for Kindle Library or swipe through the thumbnails of the books to see them.
- Select the name of a book to prompt Alexa to start reading it or simply say “Alexa, read [title of book]”.
- In case you have more than one Echo device, select the one you wish to play the audio.
- Once the audio starts playing, go back to the Entertainment screen.
- The book presently being read will be displayed at the bottom of the screen with the option to pause the reading and control the volume.
- Tap the entry for the narration to view the book presently being read.
- That’s it!
You can now control the reading via the Amazon app or via your voice command. The app allows you to pause, resume, go back 30 seconds, go forward 30 seconds, and change the volume. You can also jump to certain chapters by clicking the Outline icon in the lower-left corner.
In case you wish to control playback by voice, tell Alexa to pause, resume, go forward, go back, increase volume, lower volume, or stop. You can always flow along with the audio by opening the Kindle app on your device. You can get Alexa to read you a book quickly.
How to Find an Audiobook to Read
In case you are an Audible subscriber or you just purchased or downloaded any audiobooks via Audible, then you can listen to them via your Echo. The audiobook’s narrator will help read the book, but you can always initiate and control the reading via Alexa. Follow the steps below to achieve this:
- Open the Alexa app on your mobile device.
- Click on the Play icon, navigate down to the Entertainment screen, and click the See All link for the Audible Library section.
- You could also swipe through the thumbnails of the books listed.
- Click on the name of a book to begin listening to it via your Echo device.
- You can also instruct Alexa to start reading the book by saying “Alexa, read [title of book] from Audible”.
- Select the Echo device on which you want to hear the book being read.
- Click on the entry for the narration.
Now, you can control the book via volume controls and other options or by telling Alexa what to do and get Alexa to read you a book of your choice.
Which Kindle Books can Alexa read?
You need to be sure of the types of books Alexa reads so you won’t be stranded. Any material that supports the text-to-speech technology can be read by Alexa. Are you wondering why it’s not supporting all Kindle books? Anyway, it quite supports a vast majority of it.
- Alexa supports books purchased from the Kindle Store, borrowed from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, Kindle Unlimited or Prime Reading, and anything shared in your Family Library will usually work with Alexa.
- Comics and graphic novels are not generally supported for apparent reasons.
- There are still some features you can’t use with Alexa yet, like Narration speed control and Immersion Reading.
- Immersion Reading is a feature that allows you to read along in rhythm with the audio narration. For now, you can only use it with the Kindle iOS and Android apps, or with Fire Tablets (2nd Gen and later version).
- Instead of giving voice commands, you can also select an audiobook and control narration using the Audible mobile app.
- Audiobooks should synchronize so you can stop listening on one device and continue from the same place using a different device.
How to Get Audiobooks for Alexa
It’s possible to buy individual audiobooks from the Audible website, the Audible app, or Amazon.com. In case you have an Amazon Prime account and Kindle Unlimited, you may be able to access some audiobooks all for free. All you need do is search for and select Read and Listen For Free on chosen titles. Another way to get audiobooks is to add Audible narration to ebooks you have already purchased from Amazon by following the steps below:
- Navigate to Amazon.com and choose Account & Lists at the top of the Amazon home page.
- You will be asked to provide your Amazon username and password if you are not already signed in to your Amazon account.
- Click on Your devices and content.
- Choose Manage Digital Content.
- Click on the ellipses (…) beside the book you wish to add a narration to.
- Click on Add Narration in the pop-up window.
- That’s it!
You can also download Amazon Audible books to read on your mobile device or the Kindle app for PC. Isn’t that amazing!
Get Alexa to Read You a Book on Android and iOS
Since the Kindle app for Android does not support text-to-voice narration, it’s still possible to get Alexa to read you a book on any smartphone or tablet using the Alexa app for Android and iOS:
- Open the Alexa app and tap on the Play button at the bottom of the screen.
- Scroll down and choose a book under your Kindle Library.
- Tap This Device.
On the other hand, you can click the Alexa icon (the blue speech bubble) at the bottom of the app to give a voice command. Now you can Get Alexa to Read You a Book.
How to get Alexa to read you a book on Kindle
There are two main ways to get Alexa to narrate your Kindle book. The first method is through the app while the second method is by asking Alexa to read your book without touching the app at all. Follow the steps below to achieve the first method:
- Launch and Open the Alexa app on your phone.
- Click on the Play button located at the bottom menu of your screen.
- Scroll down till you find your Kindle Library, which should be displayed below Recently Played, and your Audible library.
- Click on Settings on your Kindle device and then All Settings.
- Then choose your Account and log in with your Amazon Username and Password.
- Select the book you want Alexa to read.
- In case you have more than one device, choose the one you want from the drop-down menu.
- Alexa will begin reading immediately.
- Recent books read by Alexa will be displayed in the Recently Played section at the top, as well.
Alternatively, you can simply ask Alexa to read your book without touching the app at all. Follow the steps below to achieve this:
- Simply say “Alexa, read my Kindle book”, and Alexa will read the last book you were reading from where you stopped.
- Say “Alexa, read Harry Potter book 1 from Kindle”, or another book title that you presently own or could borrow on Kindle.
- Alexa will begin reading the book you requested from where you left off.
Once Alexa is reading your book, you have other various ways to interact via voice:
Just try some of the following commands:
“Alexa, play the Kindle book, [title].”
“Alexa, read my Kindle book.” (This will begin from where you stopped listening)
“Alexa, read my book, [title]”
“Alexa, read [title].”
In case you have an Echo Show, you can ask Alexa to as well show you your library of Kindle books.
Just say“Alexa, show me my Kindle books.”
Do you need to pause it? Just say “[Pause / Skip / Stop / Resume]” to control Alexa’s playback.
In case you don’t like the way Alexa is reading, you can always change the way she speaks. You can use your voice to instruct Alexa to start reading by simply saying “Alexa, read book title”, or you can open the Alexa companion app under the new Kindle Books section to see which of your titles she can read to you. Now, you can get Alexa to read you a Book.
Also note that this service is free, no charges are required. You have to be willing to hear Alexa’s semi-robotic voice for reading instead of expecting to hear professional talent read to you, which is typically what Audible uses. Alexa uses Amazon’s Whispersync technology so she will easily pick up right where you left off in a book. Unlike Amazon’s Audible service which is a bit limited. Although in Audible, you can specify which chapter to read or which to move to.
Thanks for reading thus far, I hope this article is quite insightful and educative? Now, you can get Alexa to read you a book without any hassle. Let’s hear your view in the comment section below.