Audiobooks discussion
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Listening Using Echo Devices
Penelope wrote: "I had something weird happen, I ask Alexa to read various books from my library and it works fine, but when I ask her to play ..."I had this happen with reading a Kindle book (Wobble to Death). Not only would it not read it but after trying, it couldn't read any Kindle or Audible books until I unplugged it and plugged it in again.
Have you tried starting the book using the Audible app on your phone or computer first, then switching to Alexa? Perhaps the problem is just at the beginning of the book...
Jeanie wrote: "From the memo: • "Alexa, read A Tale of Two Cities from Audible."
Through September 30th, stream this historic novel to get ahead on your back to school reading list."
Thanks for posting! I have read this book (and also listened to an audiobook edition) but it is one of my favorite Dickens.
Thanks Leslie, that's a great idea. Can't wait to try it!
First, I have had the problem two or three times of a book not playing... unplugging and then replugging the device cleared it up each time. Hope it works for anyone else having a problem.Second, here's a helpful--sometimes--question:
"Alexa, what's free on Audible?"
Right now, the answer I get is "This month Audible's original production of Treasure Island narrated by a full cast is available to stream." Just say "Alexa, read Treasure Island."
Third, once upon a time you could ask, "Alexa, what are popular audiobooks from Audible this week?" Now, the response is, "Hmm, maybe the skill Hoopla Digital will help."
Thanks Jeanie, operational repair procedure #1 is a good place to start. With my old box TV I had to hit it in just the right spot on top to get it to work, nowadays it's reboot.
Today there is an article in NY Times about Amazon adding more options for "smart" devices so you can tell your microwave to defrost something rather than pushing a button. Fine, I guess, until it doesn't work. I detest Siri, Alexa and all the other services. I don't even like talking to an automated voice when I call in to places. I don't mind pushing buttons to enter my info, but I feel stupid talking to a machine. I suppose it is my age and younger people find it perfectly natural and easier than dealing with messy humans.
Robin wrote: "Today there is an article in NY Times about Amazon adding more options for "smart" devices so you can tell your microwave to defrost something rather than pushing a button. Fine, I guess, until it ..."I do get your point. I've chosen not to add some smart appliances/switches to my home in certain places for fear of an internet provider glitch causing me to be unable to do certain things. It isn't always a good idea to have your home be smarter than you are! ;P
But using an Echo device for hands-free listening that starts and stops by voice command... fun and convenient. I'm over 60 and willing to embrace the technology... after all, I grew up on Star Trek with a computer device that they talked to and she talked back. Ah, if only Alexa sounded like Majel Barrett! And when I started listening to the In Death series by J.D. Robb, I kept thinking how cool it was that they walked into a room and just said, "Lights on!" and they turned on! Now I can do the very same thing--at least in a few rooms. Now if I could only find a Roark, too...
My first Echo was a gift and I treated it at first like a novelty toy. I'd ask the time, weather, to play some music, spell a word, give a definition... and then my audiobooks. It's amazing how quickly I got used to "Alexa resume" and "Alexa stop" to control my listening. And then I figured itt would be nice to have an Echo in my bedroom so if I woke in the night I could easily discover the time... and go to sleep with an audiobook set to stop using a sleep timer... and set an alarm to wake me... and give me my Miriam Webster's Word of the Day while I snuggled under the covers waiting to see if I'd go back to sleep... and tell me my reminders for the day... or add to my grocery list... all without even getting out of bed!
Accepting this technology is often a gradual thing... first a toy, then an essential tool for daily life. I didn't know how much I'd do with Alexa until I got one and week by week added a new thing to use the technology for. The more positive experiences you have with the technology, the more you are willing to try. We boldly go where no one has gone before! Or, maybe we follow in the footsteps of those who blazed the trail... either way, "Alexa, read my latest audiobook."
Robin wrote: "Today there is an article in NY Times about Amazon adding more options for "smart" devices so you can tell your microwave to defrost something rather than pushing a button. ..."The key, really, is to have the Alexa/Smart Home options in ADDITION to physical options.
So, for instance, say you're popping popcorn and doing something at the sink/stove/refrigerator while waiting for the pops to stop. You can then stop the microwave when it sounds like it's finished instead of having to stop whatever you're doing and run across the room to stop it before it starts burning.
But I wouldn't trade voice control functionality for physical buttons. It's a supplemental option, not a replacement.
Ideally, though, you can configure things so they just work automatically without saying a thing. So, for instance, if I wake up early, I can verbally turn on the coffee pot and lay there in bed for a few minutes while I wait for it to brew. However, if I wake up at my regular time, the pot will turn on automatically as soon as I get out of bed. It also (along with several lights) turns OFF automatically when I leave for work so I never have to rush around double checking that things are off when I"m already running late.
The door on my detached garage unlocks automatically when my back door is opened and re-locks itself whenever I leave, or after 5 minutes. Etc.
The best sort of home automation is the stuff you never have to turn on/off yourself - it'll just be on/off when you want it to be without you doing anything.
(Note: I'm a big fan of smart home devices and I STILL think a voice controlled microwave is a bit silly. There's a couple of use-cases for it. And I'm sure it'd be easier to operate than touch-button ones for someone who's visually impaired. But for the average user, it's silly.)
In an email from Amazon I noticed an upcoming product, Echo Auto. This is supposed to come out later this year and will make it possible to use Alexa to listen to audiobooks in the car. It doesn't sound perfect as it requires a phone that will connect to the car speakers by Bluetooth. But it will allow for voice control and allow access to all other Alexa skills. I signed up for the invitation to buy one which will allow me to purchase it at half price--current retail price is just under $50 or about the same as an Echo Dot. My sister may be the test subject and get one for Christmas... no more getting into the car and shouting for the audiobook to play, only to remember the Echo is inside the house and not in the car! ;)
I signed up for the invitation too Jeanie - it sounds very interesting.
Now if they would only make Alexa capable of varying the rate of speed while listening to an audiobook!
For what it's worth... from the weekly memo:• "Alexa, read Funny Amazon Reviews from Audible."
I listened and it was entertaining, though absurd. I assume they are telling the truth about these reviews actually being on Amazon... there are some truly creative and deeply disturbed reviewers out there if so.
This month from the Amazon email: • "Alexa, read Pride and Prejudice from Audible."
I have no idea which narrator does this one... I have multiple versions of this book in my own Library and when I ask Alexa to read the book I get one I already own... starting where I last left off.
Has anyone gotten the message from Alexa "I'm having trouble reaching Audible. Try again later." ? She won't read any of my books now. I rebooted her, but I get the same message. It has only been this afternoon, so it might just be a temporary glitch.Later .. I Googled it and got this message on the Audible site: "Cloud player issue
We're currently experiencing a playback issue with the Cloud Player. We are working on it and will have it resolved as soon as possible. "
So that's probably the problem.
Yeah, I'm having the same issue. What a shame we have the Cloud Player problems but don't get the advantage of changing narration speed! Of course, the Audible Cloud Player often has problems with distortion at higher speeds--not always, but about a fourth of the time--and I'm not eager for Alexa to access that!
This month, Life of Pi is free to stream on Audible using Alexa.
I just got an email from Audible because they are sponsoring a fun activity for Harry Potter fans: "Alexa, play Harry Potter quiz."
Test your knowledge with the official Harry Potter quiz on Alexa. Come back each day to win house points.
The best thing about this quiz is they use clips from the audiobooks narrated by Jim Dale for the questions!
BTW: I chose to be a Ravenclaw and to answer the O.W.L. level questions... should have gone for the N.E.W.T.s though because I got all three right plus the bonus question without breaking a sweat. ;) Now I just have to remember to go back each day for more!
No idea when this feature began, but now I can ask, "Alexa, how much time is left in the chapter/book?" while listening to an audiobook and she answers, "There's X minutes in the chapter and X hours X minutes in the book."! This is a very helpful feature, for me at least. :D
Special heads up... given the above new feature, I asked, "Alexa, increase rate to 1.25" The response was very interesting and gives me hope:
"I can't change the playback speed just yet, please try again later."
I'll keep trying and post any positive results as soon as I get them! *crosses fingers in anticipation*
Today I told Alexa, "Increase rate to 1.25" and her response was:"Current rate is 125%" and the speed increased with good sound quality!
I tried again and the instruction was "You can say read faster, read slower, or read at normal speed."
Hurray, hurray! thank you Amazon/Audible!
Jeanie wrote: "Today I told Alexa, "Increase rate to 1.25" and her response was:"Current rate is 125%" and the speed increased with good sound quality!
I tried again and the instruction was "You can say read fas..."
Woohoo, no more bluetoothing my phone to get a faster rate.
OK, I've done some playing around with Alexa's new feature.You can slow the rate down to 75% at its slowest.
The fastest speed is 150% (on the three books I've tried).
If you switch from one book to another, each book reads at the rate last listened to on that particular book. I had one book at 125% and another at 150% and when I switched back and forth they each continued at their selected speed.
The surest way to get what you want is the command, "Alexa, read slower/faster/at normal speed." Any variation tends to get a bit of confusion on Alexa's part. ;)
I'll admit I could wish for more variations in speed at the faster settings, but I'm super excited to have this option at last!
Alexa told me 150% was the fastest playback available. Yes, it took quite a few tries of wording to get the desired speed.
That's the thing about Alexa commercials, they always make it look so smooth and easy when in reality it sometimes takes me 3 or 4 tries to get a light turned on or off.
Whoo-hoo!!! Thanks for sharing Jeanie. Exciting news! I'm not used to listening at different speeds so the few it offers now is fine with me. I will need to play with it.
150% is slower than I usually listen, but this is certainly a step in the right direction.
That's great news Jeanie, thanks for sharing!
I am so excited about the ability to increase playback speeds! I will have to try it out. It takes me several tries to get Alexa to make a clip. I usually give up. I tried switching to "make a bookmark" when i was ready to stop listening and Alexa started telling me how to cut cardboard.
Jeanie, thank you so much for the tip on speeding up listening through Alexa! I usually just listen at normal speed, but I put the rate at 1.25 today for The Pillars of the Earth. The sound quality is great and I might even go to 1.5 during the "palace intrigue" portions of the book.
Rick B wrote: "Jeanie, thank you so much for the tip on speeding up listening through Alexa! I usually just listen at normal speed, but I put the rate at 1.25 today for The Pillars of the Earth. The sound quality...":D I really liked Pillars of the Earth, but it really can be nice to move through certain scenes a little faster if you want. I also really like that the vocal quality remains good at the 125% rate so that it's barely noticeable that it's going faster. The 150% rate is still good quality as well, but it is noticeable to me that it's faster... at least until my ear acclimates and I wish I had a few faster options! ;)
Interesting thread with some helpful tips. I got an Echo Dot for free for renewing my Sirius XM subscription. I'm still learning how to ask Alexa different things. I haven't used it for Audible books yet since I usually use my bluetooth speaker instead and the Audible app.
This is simply the best thing ever.So glad Amazon added this feature.
The only problem I've noticed so far, is that Alexa seems to add to the amount of time I have left in the story as I go along. For example, when I started listening to my story last night, I was told I had 2 1/2 hours left in the book. After about an hour, I asked Alexa "how much time is there left in the book"? Surprisingly, I was told 3 hours and 46 minutes!?!? Maybe I'm actually getting younger as I listen :>)
Rick B wrote: "The only problem I've noticed so far, is that Alexa seems to add to the amount of time I have left in the story as I go along. For example, when I started listening to my story last night, I was to..."LOL It's true there are plenty of benefits to listening to audiobooks, but that's one I hadn't suspected. ;)
I haven't noticed this problem yet myself. I wonder if very long books are more prone to this kind of glitch?
Rick B wrote: "The only problem I've noticed so far, is that Alexa seems to add to the amount of time I have left in the story as I go along. For example, when I started listening to my story last night, I was to..."I should have payed closer attention to this... I've begun getting erroneous reports on the time left in my books as well. :( I'm not sure what the issue is as the time given for time remaining is correct when starting a book or when it's been paused for a day or more, but asking while listening some hours in is iffy. I did notice a time-keeping problem when listening via the Cloud Player on Audible, so maybe those problems are linked?
While I assume people on this thread have an Audible account to use the Echo, you may have friends or family with an Echo who don't yet have an Audible account. The latest memo from Amazon says you can use your Echo to sign up for an account that will give you 4 free credits to start--two now and two when the payment method on the Amazon account is verified. At the end of the month it becomes a Gold membership you pay for. Cancel at any time. Sign up any time through Feb. 8.
I got a memo from Audible today and here's what the web site says: Explore an immersive Audible experience
The iconic book series that took millions of readers on exciting, unpredictable journeys, comes to life with this official Choose Your Own Adventure® Alexa skill. Take the lead in an interactive story that features professional narration, exceptional sound design, and danger at every turn.
You begin with the adventure, you decide your next move, you alter your own fate. Where and when it ends is up to YOU.
How do I start playing?
Just follow the step-by-step guide below to try the skill for yourself.
“Alexa, open Choose Your Own Adventure”
Use this command on your device to open the skill.
Snowman or Sea?
Your first decision is whether to begin with The Abominable Snowman or Journey Under the Sea. Then get ready to make some tougher calls.
Take a New Path
If your adventure ends, don't despair. Just say “go back” or “change story” to make another choice.
The Abominable Snowman
You are on a quest in the Himalayas to discover the legendary Yeti. Is it real? You must survive harsh elements and violent smugglers but can you survive an encounter with the beast?
The Abominable Snowman
Journey Under the Sea
The fabled city of Atlantis calls to you from the murky depths. You search, encountering shipwrecks, dangerous sea creatures, and a whole new species of people. Hold your breath!
Journey Under the Sea
Your Next Adventures
Stay tuned. The future may bring new journeys, new dangers, and a new decision. Will you be ready?
I thought it was only me, but Stephanie mentioned this in another thread so I figured I'd mention it here, too. Recently, problems have developed over listening on one Echo, pausing, then resuming on another Echo in a different room. Lately, the book doesn't resume where the last one paused, or at least not consistently, and this makes it very problematic to keep reading, say, going from downstairs to upstairs. The biggest problem occurs when I listen on one Echo, switch to another, and then switch to the first Echo. The difference can be a jump of several hours ahead in the book. I liked being able to go from room to room and resume my book... now, it's a big pain.I'm wondering if this is related to the recent problem with Alexa reporting an inaccurate amount of time left in the book?
Hey, Audible, we're big echo users here, but these problems could reduce our use of Alexa for audiobook reading... help us out here!
This is my absolute favorite way to listen to my audio books - I just say 'Alexa, open Audible", and she opens my library and resumes whatever book she's been reading. I can change books, go to different chapters - start over again - and the sound is fantastic.
Jennifer wrote: "This is my absolute favorite way to listen to my audio books - I just say 'Alexa, open Audible", and she opens my library and resumes whatever book she's been reading. I can change books, go to dif..."Me, too. It's quite addictive, using voice to control audiobook reading... I forget and try to use voice commands in the car, at my sister's house, and once even nearly tried to give a voice command in the grocery store--caught myself in time, thank heavens!
This is why little glitches can be so disconcerting... whatever you do, don't mess with my Echo!
Oh, and while we're at it, someone at Amazon should make Alexa more discriminating about her name. I was listening to an audiobook with a character named Alexis and Alexa kept trying to respond. She kept telling me she couldn't find book titles that were actually the text following the character's name. She did give me the correct spelling of several words from the text though. ;)
Has anyone else had this problem: I have Regicide from the Completionist Chronicles series and listened to it the first time using the Audible Cloud Player--it can playback faster than 1.5--but when I try to re-listen using Alex, I get a "I'm having trouble reaching Audible" message. Alexa can reach Audible to read any other book, just not that one. I tried the Alexa App and it can't play Regicide either. Weird.So is this a problem with the book itself or just my version?
This month's free listen is Classic Love Poems. Happy Valentine's Day! :)
Jeanie wrote: "Oh, and while we're at it, someone at Amazon should make Alexa more discriminating about her name. I was listening to an audiobook with a character named Alexis and Alexa kept trying to respond."Here's how to change Alexa's name on your Echo.
* Open the Alexa app on your phone.
* Tap the home page button on the bottom-left. It looks like three rectangles stacked together.
* Select the menu button on the top-left of the page.
* Choose settings.
* Pick "Device Settings."
* Choose the Echo that you want to modify.
* Tap "Wake Word."
* Now you'll be able to change the name Alexa to either "Amazon," "Echo," or "Computer."
Once you've picked one of the wake words, it will respond to that instead of "Alexa," so make sure you remember which one you pick.
HBJ, thanks for the helpful hint.The problem is that all alternative wake words also appear in books, on the internet, and in my everyday conversations. And with a computer that speaks, every visit to Amazon.Com would trigger the device! ;)
What I really need is the ability to create my own wake word... some rare name or nonsense syllable that doesn't occur anywhere else.
I noticed in the In Death series, which is set about forty years in our future, that the characters often refer to the machine as the "comp", but when addressing it to locate someone in the building or do an information search they first say, "Computer...". I wonder if J.D. Robb thought about the potential confusion and solved the problem that way or just did it accidentally. At least in the future they don't have to say a name first when turning on the lights!
And I noticed Amazon and Audible are finally touting Alexa's variable playback speeds. Apparently, "Alexa, speed up" is another viable way to increase the rate. If only we could get more than 1.5X out of dear Alexa!
This month, The Four Hour Work Week is the free book from Audible you can listen to using Alexa.
I'm getting very frustrated using my Echos to listening to audiobooks. All of the problems started in December and seem to worsen over time. The last 2 days of listening to Firefight by Brandon Sanderson was driving me nuts. Every time I would start the story, it would start somewhere other than where I left off. This is just the latest problem. I bought Echos primarily for audiobooks (multilevel, multiroom) so that I could start and stop where I was. What happened? This worked great up until December.
The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris is this month's free Audible book on Echo. The title is actually a lot longer than this.
Stephanie wrote: "I'm getting very frustrated using my Echos to listening to audiobooks. All of the problems started in December and seem to worsen over time. The last 2 days of listening to Firefight by Brandon San..."I know what a pain in the backside dealing with customer service can be, but I think you should really consider contacting Amazon about this.
I use my Echo all the time for reading and would hate to lose any of its functionality. I mentioned earlier that I've had similar problems when switching back and forth between devices, but the problem doesn't show up if I don't switch immediately from one to the other and back--den to kitchen to den, for example. Still, I think it's more that I'm being trained by my Echo than it functioning all the time as I want... I stopped even asking how much time is left in a book!
I think it's important for all of us to insist that the reading functions of the Echo work, or we'll eventually have devices that are good for telling us the time and little else.
Audiobooks
Books mentioned in this topic
Wobble to Death (other topics)Madness Rules the Hour: Charleston, 1860, and the Mania for War (other topics)
https://www.audible.com/pd/Madness-Ru...
all I get is silence with an occasional loud burst of static. Every other book plays fine, just not that one particular book.
Has this happened to anyone else?