Google Play Books alternatives

Here are the latest news about Google Play Books:

13.05.24. Google Play Books offers hundreds of free eBooks for children



In the grand tradition of mildly chaotic yet charming announcements, Google Play Books has unveiled a mind-bogglingly generous expansion of its kids’ collection—over 300 free non-fiction titles with a snazzy "Read & Listen" feature that lets children read and listen simultaneously, presumably leaving no excuse for confusing “their” with “there” ever again. But wait, there's more! To sprinkle a bit of intergalactic joy on the whole reading affair, Google has rolled out digital Reading Rewards stickers, guaranteed to thrill kids into reaching reading milestones faster than a Vogon could butcher poetry, available on Google Kids Space or the Play Books Android app. As if that wasn’t enough to make you raise your towel in approval, Google has also decided to toss thousands of audiobook previews onto its YouTube channel—because why shouldn’t books get their moment in the spotlight among cat videos and conspiracy theories? And just when you thought the galaxy couldn’t get any more bookish, they’ve added an "Upcoming" section to the app's "Library" tab, offering book pre-orders and recommendations to keep your reading queue as endless as Zaphod Beeblebrox’s ego.


2024. Google Play Books to offer audiobook previews on YouTube



Google Play Books has been provided an update that introduces several new features to the app. That includes integration with YouTube where users will be able to listen to audiobook previews for free. This would be in addition to the audiobook previews that are already available via the Play Books app for Android, iOS and the web. As it is, YouTube enjoys a huge userbase and it is only natural Google will like to leverage it to seek better exposure for its audiobooks as well. In any case, Google has been restructuring its media business of late and several of its services such as Play Music and Podcasts have been brought under the purview of YouTube. Among the other changes introduced to Play Books include the addition of the new Upcoming tab at the top of the Library section. So, you will now have Your books, Shelves and Series along with the newly added Upcoming tabs at the top under Library. This, as Google explained, will show “all your pre-orders in one location on a calendar that can be filtered based on specific series or authors.” You will also be provided updates on authors and series that you might have shown interest in, which can be like titles that you may have searched or viewed.


2023. Google Reading Insights allows to track your kid’s reading habits



In a move that feels suspiciously like something out of a bureaucratic galactic empire's guidebook, Google has unveiled a shiny new feature in Google Play Books called Reading Insights. Think of it as a mildly omniscient tool for parents keen on peering into the literary whims of their offspring. Nestled snugly within the Family Link app—a digital Swiss army knife of parental controls—this feature lets parents snoop on what books their kids are diving into, how often they're thumbing through the pages, and whether they've actually made it past chapter two of that “classic” they swore they’d read. Reading Insights doesn’t stop there; it also tracks audiobook escapades, so parents can marvel at their children’s newfound love for having someone else do the reading. It’s like having a Babel fish, but instead of translating alien languages, it deciphers the enigma of juvenile reading habits.


2023. Google Play Books app adds new book management feature



In the dazzling, slightly improbable universe of the Google Play Books app, a recent update has cheerfully transformed its library management system into something one might call vaguely brilliant. Among the many splendid innovations is the newfound ability to wrangle multiple books simultaneously—a feat that, until now, was the sort of thing best left to well-trained android librarians. Users can now, with an almost smug sense of efficiency, shuffle titles en masse onto shelves, declare them triumphantly "finished," or banish downloaded copies with the flick of a digital wrist. But wait, there’s more: cunning filters have emerged to help you navigate this literary cosmos. By sorting books by genre, author, reading age (a lifesaver for those catering to small, sticky-fingered readers), and family library status, one can now find precisely the right tome with the ease of a Magrathean custom planet-builder plucking stars from the sky.


2023. Google Play Books now offering new Reading Practice tool for kids



In a move that suggests someone at Google Play Books may have been struck by the sudden realization that young readers are, in fact, small humans with infinite potential, they’ve unveiled a shiny new feature called Reading Practice in the United States. This clever addition, available through the Google Play Books Android app and Google Kids Space, is designed to coax budding bookworms into mastering the fine art of comprehension via children’s e-books. Armed with the mystical ability to tap words for instant pronunciation and a child-friendly definition, young readers can expand their vocabularies while marveling at technology that feels borderline magical. A text tracker thoughtfully highlights words as they read aloud, keeping early readers on course and offering them the chance to revisit any rogue mispronunciations or skipped words at the end of the page. Naturally, most books on Google Play Books come armed with this feature, ensuring no child is left in the digital dust. In their mission to foster tech-savvy, book-loving kids, Google Play continues its noble quest to equip parents with tools that encourage reading, exploration, and digital habits that are less about chaos and more about harmony.


2022. Google Play Books adds a Wish List



Google Play Books is rolling out a new update for its Android app that introduces a wish list feature on the main navigation bar at the bottom of the screen. This is alongside the Home, Library and Shop buttons. It is a dedicated feature specific to Play Books, allowing you to add titles you wish to purchase later to your wish list, which you can view at any time. Tapping on a title in the wish list will direct you to the Google Play Books entry for it, where you can download a sample or make a purchase. Most users who buy books are using the Play Books app for this purpose, as it allows both purchasing and reading within the app. However, in recent months, the company has updated its billing policy, imposing a 30% fee on each in-app transaction. This has led Audible, Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble to remove the ability to purchase content, turning their apps into consumption-only platforms.


2021. Google Play Books now has new tools to make reading easier for kids



Google Play Books has unveiled a suite of new tools designed to make it easier for even young readers to start enjoying books. The Read & Listen feature will narrate a book to your children. You can either turn the pages manually or allow them to turn automatically. The Tap to Read feature will read aloud any word that you tap on. This helps kids learn the correct pronunciation of the word and provides a description, often accompanied by an illustration, to ensure a complete understanding of the term. Additionally, the Kid-Friendly Dictionary offers simple explanations of words, further supporting the learning process.


2021. Google Play Books will help kids to learn to read



In a move that would probably make Marvin the Paranoid Android raise an eyebrow—if he had one—Google Play Books has introduced a set of whimsical features designed to make the tricky business of learning to read a bit more palatable for the galaxy's youngest inhabitants. Now, little Earthlings can enjoy having books read aloud to them by a soothingly disembodied voice, or even tap on individual words to hear them pronounced with a diligence that would make even Vogon poetry tolerable. Adding to the fun, they can explore thousands of child-friendly definitions, often paired with delightful illustrations that practically shout, "Look at me, I'm educational!" Google assures us that these marvels of modern ingenuity are enabled in the majority of their children's book collection, and parents (those industrious curators of young minds) can even snag a free sample of any book to ensure the reading tools are in working order—because nothing derails bedtime quite like a digital hiccup.


2019. Google Play allows to rent ebooks



Google Play has introduced a new system for renting ebooks. A small section that quietly went live last week features around 200 titles from Open Road Media. The rental prices range from $1 to $2, with a rental period of 3 days, which should be sufficient to voraciously read most of the romance, thriller and science-fiction novels available. The Google Play rental system is currently available only in the United States. It is not yet clear whether this is a pilot program to assess consumer interest or part of a larger strategy to enter the rental market with additional publishers.


2019. Google Play Books adds custom shelves, shelf icons



In the vast and mildly eccentric universe of Google Play Books, something rather marvelous has occurred: Beta Features have materialized, offering users a tantalizing glimpse into experimental tools that are as shiny as they are delightfully impractical—until, of course, you realize you can’t live without them. First up, we have customized bookshelves, which sound like the sort of thing a hyperspace librarian would dream up, letting you arrange your library in whatever whimsical or logical order suits your fancy. Then there’s Searching and Sorting, a feature so unreasonably convenient it might make you feel like a mildly omniscient curator of literature, finding and arranging books with a flick of the wrist. Lastly, there’s the intriguingly named Ready to Read—a shelf that acts like a polite but firm companion reminding you of all the books you started but never finished, quietly nudging you to dive back in. At the moment, this cerebral sorcery is confined to your desktop browser, but fear not; it will soon hitch a ride on the improbability drive to Android and iOS.


2019. Google Play Books gets redesign on Android



Google, in its infinite wisdom and boundless enthusiasm for tinkering with things that weren’t necessarily broken, has unveiled a new look for Play Books. The redesign, steeped in the enigmatic philosophy of “less is more unless you’re using it,” boasts a minimalist aesthetic that could make a whiteboard blush. Iconography now appears delightfully hollow (existential crisis not included), the backgrounds shimmer in unrelenting white, and the fonts have undergone a Google-sanctioned makeover with Product Sans. The home screen carousel, once sprawling like a comfortable couch, has been trimmed down to something more compact and decidedly businesslike, extending its newfound sleekness to the bookstore as well. For readers, the experience is largely unchanged, though those with accessibility concerns might notice that text has shrunk, and interactive bits are now smaller—perfect for anyone with an uncanny knack for squinting. Naturally, you can always adjust the font sizes because, well, it’s still an ebook reader, even if it’s trying very hard to be a minimalist work of art.


2018. Google Audiobooks gets Trim Silences feature



In the vast, sprawling multiverse of audiobook options, where endless moments can stretch between words like a particularly lazy time-traveling couch potato, Google Play Books emerges as your singular portal for experiencing audiobooks acquired from Google. And lo, they’ve just unveiled a sparkling new gizmo called Trim Silences, which, with the grace of a caffeinated Vogon (but considerably more pleasant results), deftly snips away those interminable gaps between sentences. While most audiobooks are engineered by professionals who wouldn’t dream of such temporal redundancies, small presses and indie authors sometimes let a pause linger like a whale contemplating the meaning of gravity. In such cases, Trim Silences proves to be not just a feature, but a minor miracle.


2018. Android e-Readers can no longer access Google Play



Google has introduced a new security policy that is blocking users from accessing the Google Play Store on an Android e-reader. Dozens of popular brands in Asia and Europe do not have an official license for Google Play; instead, they only load the framework and the app store. Previously, this was sufficient, but not anymore. If you have an existing e-reader and linked your Google account before March 16th, 2018, you should be fine. However, if you have recently purchased a new Android e-reader or reset your existing one to factory settings, you will no longer be able to access the Play Store.


2018. Google Play audiobooks get Smart Resume and bookmarks



Google Play Audiobooks is receiving a significant update that introduces several new features that were notably absent when it debuted earlier this year. The most beneficial new feature is Smart Resume. Instead of resuming in the middle of a sentence or even a word when your audiobook playback is interrupted, this new feature will intelligently rewind to the start of the word or sentence, helping you maintain your immersion. This update also includes the ability to set bookmarks so you can easily return to your favorite sections of a book and the option to adjust the playback speed—whether speeding it up or slowing it down to thoroughly enjoy a favorite passage in Ulysses. If you regularly use Google Assistant and are already taking advantage of the newly launched Routines feature, you'll be pleased to know that you can now choose to continue your audiobooks when you wake up or begin your commute.


2018. Google brings audiobooks to its Play store



Google Play Store now offers audiobooks. This new audiobook feature is rolling out in 45 countries and nine languages. Similar to other platforms, you can listen to a preview of the audiobook on the Play Store and audiobooks are automatically added to your family library, allowing you to easily share your audiobook copy of “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” with everyone in your household. One handy feature is its integration with Google Assistant on both your phone and Google Home. With this integration, you can simply ask the assistant to read your book and it will do so. You can also inquire about basic details of the book (“Who is the author?”). Google’s pricing appears to be competitive with similar offerings from Amazon.


2017. Google Play Books improves reading experience



In a galaxy not terribly far away, the Google Play Books app for Android has taken a quantum leap in simplicity, leaving behind the labyrinthine complexities of its previous incarnation. The Library page, once a sprawling universe of five tabs, has been streamlined into two delightfully minimalist options: Shelves and Books. The new Shelves system bursts forth like a supernova of vibrant cover art, effortlessly organizing your reading life. First, there’s a cheerful parade of books you’ve yet to crack open, followed by a stately procession of ongoing reads, and finally, a triumphant gallery of completed triumphs. As for the Books tab, it’s a singularity of all things literary—a full inventory of your tomes, with the ability to filter by uploads, purchases, or family library shares, all via a tidy little button in the corner. The discarded tabs? Mere echoes of filters past, now absorbed into the streamlined splendor of this new system.


2016. Google Play now allows to gift e-books



In a move that seems like the sort of thing that would make even Marvin the Paranoid Android crack a faint smile (though he’d probably deny it later), Google Play Books has rolled out a delightfully inconspicuous update to their Android app. It’s now possible to bestow the literary wonders of an e-book upon a friend, family member, or perhaps an unwitting acquaintance who’s about to become very well-read. Simply spot the desired tome lounging on your homepage or within the Play Books Store, tap the mysterious trio of dots, and voilà! An option to gift the e-book emerges like a hyperspace bypass from nowhere. With a few clicks, your lucky recipient will receive a notification that essentially says, "Here’s a book, now go read it, instructions included." Quite civilized, really.


2015. Google Play Books makes it easier to read at night



If you’re a night reader on your mobile device, you know it’s difficult to get tired with the bright screen glaring at your eyes. This isn’t an issue with physical books, as you can use a soft light to create a relaxing atmosphere. Google Play Books aims to replicate that softer experience with a feature called “Night Light.” As the evening progresses, it gradually filters out the blue light from your screen, replacing it with a warm, amber hue as the sun sets, to make reading more comfortable. Night Light automatically adjusts based on the amount of natural sunlight outside according to the time of day, providing the ideal warmth and brightness. This color adjustment is easier on your eyes and significantly enhances reading in low-light conditions.


2015. Google improved Comic Book reading in Play Books for Android



Google has released an update to its Google Play Books app for Android that will enhance the experience of reading comics on your phone and tablet. Reading comics (or graphic novels, if that’s more your preference) on small screens has never been ideal. The new reading interface on Android (with iOS support coming soon) will activate when you are in landscape mode. In this mode, you can now smoothly scroll through a story with just a vertical swipe. Google has also introduced personalized comic recommendations to help you discover similar series, as well as a selection of curated series pages for comics in the Play Store.


2014. Google Play Books’ new reading mode lets you browse huge ebooks faster



Google, in its infinite wisdom and mild obsession with making everything feel like it’s happening in a different dimension, has just spruced up its Google Play Books eReader with features that seem suspiciously like they were designed for beings with the attention span of a caffeinated goldfish. Enter Skim mode, which lets you zoom through pages like a time traveler in a hurry, unshackled from the dreary business of flipping one at a time. Then there’s Quick Bookmarks, a system that practically begs you to scatter saved spots throughout your book, perfect for hopping between a riveting plot twist and that blasted reference table 200 pages away. And as if that weren’t enough, you can now bask in the luxury of seeing all your notes and highlights on one page, magically zapping yourself to the relevant sections as needed. A study tool so obviously useful it might just save the universe—or at least your exam prep.


2013. Google Play to sell and rent digital textbooks



In August, Google will begin offering digital textbooks for purchase and rental through the Google Play Books store. Google has announced partnerships with the five largest textbook publishers, allowing students to buy or rent digital textbooks for up to six months. The company stated that prices would be “up to 80 percent” lower than print list prices, a similar claim made by Amazon for Kindle textbook rentals. While Google is already selling some digital textbooks through the Play store, these are not from major publishers and are not available for rental. Entering the textbook market positions Google to compete with Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple, all of which have already established a presence in the digital textbook industry.


2013. Google Play Books is Now Available in 9 More Countries in Europe



The world’s second most slowly expanding ebook store, Google Play Books, made some headway this week with the introduction of new local ebookstores in nine additional countries: Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Sweden. In late June, Google Play Books extended its reach to Portugal, Austria, Ireland and Belgium. Google's ebookstore is now accessible in 26 countries, from the US to Russia to Australia. It mainly offers EPUB format and is actively promoting EPUB3 while discouraging other ebook formats.


2013. Google Play Books now allows users to upload own ebooks



The latest update to Google Play Books for Android and iOS enables users to upload up to 1,000 PDF and EPUB files to their Google Play accounts. Files can be uploaded from users' computers or imported from Google Drive, provided they are under 50MB in size. Once added to the library, the files will be accessible on the Web, as well as on Android and iOS smartphones and tablets, according to an announcement from the Web giant on Wednesday. The files' page locations, bookmarks and notes will be synchronizable across all chosen devices, allowing users to pick up reading where they left off when switching devices. This feature could give Google an advantage over Apple iBooks, which currently does not support user-uploaded content.


2013. Barnes & Noble integrates Google Play into Nook tablets



Barnes & Noble is integrating the Google Play marketplace (including apps, music, videos and ebooks) and Google services (Google+, Gmail, YouTube, Maps) into its Nook HD and HD+ tablets. While Nook tablets run on Android, this move seems somewhat unusual for a company that has a strategic alliance with Microsoft. Nevertheless, Jim Hilt, Barnes & Noble’s VP of ebooks, mentioned that the goal is to offer a wider media ecosystem to Nook tablet users and B&N isn’t concerned about Google Books: “We’re very confident that when people use a Nook device, they’ll engage with the Nook shopping experience,” he stated.


2012. Google Play Books app adds the power of Internet to reading



Google has updated the Android app Google Play Books, which allows you to purchase and read eBooks on your smartphone. The new features will enhance your ability to explore your books and understand what you’re reading by leveraging the power of the Internet. You can now select a word to view its translation into other languages or its definition from various dictionaries. If the word is a geographical location, you can see it on a map (Google Maps card). Additionally, you can highlight words and phrases and add side notes. The notes you create will sync across your phone, tablet and web, thanks to Google Play Books’ cloud-based content.


2011. iriver Story HD - the first e-reader that allows to read Google eBooks



Google doesn't manufacture its own e-reading device for Google eBooks, but now there's at least one third-party e-reader that supports reading Google eBooks—iriver Story HD. It has been specifically optimized for this function by two companies. With the Story HD, you can now browse, purchase and read Google eBooks directly on your e-reader via Wi-Fi, rather than downloading and transferring them from a computer to the e-reader with a cable. The iriver Story HD, priced starting at $139.99, is slim and lightweight with a high-resolution E-Ink display and a QWERTY keyboard for convenient searching. It offers over-the-air access to hundreds of thousands of Google eBooks for purchase and more than 3 million available for free.