Google Assistant can now read you your favorite book

Looking at the increasing inclination towards the use of voice commands and personal digital assistants, Google today announced the launch of audiobooks on the Google Play store in India. Users can now experience their favorite literature read out to them by instructing Google Assistant to read their book.

From Jhumpa Lahiri's 'Unaccustomed Earth', to 'Astrophysics For People In A Hurry' by Neil Degrasse Tyson, to Chetan Bhagat's 'One Night At The Call Center' and numerous others, the user can simply say "Ok Google, read my book".

Specifically through Google Play Books, the new audiobooks store is available in 45 different countries. The audiobook service integrates seamlessly with any device that utilizes the Google Assistant, including devices like the Google Home and the Google Home Mini. With audiobook integration, Google is bringing yet another feature to its smart speakers that was once limited to Amazon’s Echo devices.

There’ll be support for other commands as well, like “Ok Google, who is the author?” to get a background on who wrote the original book. If you tend to get caught up listening and lose track of time, there’ll be timed playback support as well.

"We are rolling out Google audiobooks today, for users who prefer books to be read out to them.  The Google Assistant integration with audiobooks is available on Android, iOS, Chromecast, Android Wear, Android Auto or even your laptop," said Greg Hartrell, Head of Product Management, Google Play Books.