Alexa , read Diamond Island

Alexa , read Diamond Island

 

This blog is dedicated to my mother, Connie and my mother-in-law, Patricia.

Both of these, 80-something-years young ladies, have had eyesight trouble these past few years and reading paperback books and eBooks has become challenging.   However, both use voice-activated Alexa for playing music, asking questions, checking the weather and other conversational items.

Now they, and you too, can use Amazon’s Echo (Alexa) to read eBooks.

Ever wish you could read your books while folding the clothes, making dinner or doing other stuff at the same time? Now you can have Alexa read your books to you. You can ask her to read any books you own on Kindle.

In the past, you could listen to Audiobooks bought from Audible, but they are a bit pricey. And I have used Audible on a regular basis, while walking and working out. But there are some books that don’t have an audiobook version yet, like Island of Lies or Diamond Island, so using the Kindle Books “read-aloud feature” on the Amazon Echo is a great and FREE, alternative.

It will be Alexa herself that reads the Kindle eBooks aloud in her some-what robotic voice and sure it’s not as smooth as the voice over actors in the audiobooks –but it at least works. She will recite the words in the eBook using her same voice technology she uses when telling you a joke or the weather for the day.

If you already have a Kindle eBook library then it is linked to your Amazon Echo. These books can be purchased or borrowed. You can say something to Alexa to get it to work like; “Alexa, play Diamond Island from my Kindle” or “Alexa, read me my Kindle eBook, Island of Lies” or “Hey Alexa, read my Kindle book”.

The good news is that your Kindle eBook library is already linked to your Amazon Echo, so you can go ahead and give the device voice commands and begin listening to your Kindle books. She will ask you if you want to resume reading Diamond Island page 173. If, for example, she reads you 10 pages and stops, and you pick up reading on page 183 on your Kindle, iPhone, PC, or tablet later, and you read 10 more pages; when Alexa starts reading to you again she’ll resume where you left off in the e-book, ie. Page 193. While listening to Alexa, you can ask her to; “Pause”, “Go back,” “Go forward”, and “Read louder”. And if you’re listening in bed, you can set sleep timers; “Alexa, stop reading in 30 minutes.”

She’s amazing!

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that not every Kindle book is supported by the Echo, but you can go into the Alexa app and see which of your Kindle eBooks are supported. To do this, tap on the sidebar menu button in the top-left corner of the screen in the Alexa app.

Enjoy listening to your favorite eBooks! See the attached Video of me using my Alexa to read Diamond Island while I cooked dinner. (well, while I thought about what to make for dinner)

If you haven’t bought your eBook version of Diamond Island yet, Buy it today!

Click on Diamond Island to Buy now.

 

To watch Alexa reading a book, click here  Alexa playing Diamond Island