Reading to Ruth › Advice for families
Smart speakers and audiobook appsAlexa and Audible for an elderly parent
A smart speaker looks like the perfect answer for an older person who loves books: no screen, no buttons, just ask. For some people it is. For many, the asking turns out to be the hard part.
Audiobooks on an Alexa speaker
An Amazon Echo can read Audible books aloud. These are the commands Audible gives:
- “Alexa, read my book” plays the last book they were listening to.
- “Alexa, read Persuasion from Audible” starts a particular book.
- “Alexa, pause” and “Alexa, resume”.
- “Alexa, go back” steps back thirty seconds.
- “Alexa, next chapter”.
- “Alexa, stop reading in twenty minutes” sets a timer for dozing off.
Two charity libraries work through Alexa too. People with sight loss can say “Alexa, open RNIB Talking Books”, and Calibre Audio members have a skill called My Calibre Player.
Where it works well
- Their speech is clear and their hearing is good.
- They are happy to remember a handful of phrases, or to keep a card of them beside the speaker.
- Someone else looks after the Amazon account and buys the books.
Where older listeners come unstuck
- Remembering the words. The speaker does nothing until it hears the right phrase. On a bad day, the phrase is gone.
- Being understood. A quiet, slow or hesitant voice can be misheard, and the speaker plays something else.
- Hearing the reply. When Alexa asks a question back, someone who is hard of hearing can't tell what it wants. My grandmother Ruth couldn't hear her smart speaker well enough to use it.
- Nobody to put it right. If it loses the wi-fi or starts the wrong book, it waits for the next visit.
And the Audible app?
On a phone or tablet, Audible is an app like any other: small print, menus, a library to scroll through and an account to stay signed in to. Books bought in Audible stay inside Audible, so they can't be moved to a simpler player.
A player with no commands and no menus
My grandmother Ruth is 101, almost completely blind and hard of hearing. I built Reading to Ruth for her: an audiobook player with one big Play button, on a tablet, phone or laptop they already have.
- Nothing to say and nothing to remember. Press the button to listen. Press it again to pause. It keeps the place in every book.
- Easier to hear. It plays through the tablet, a plug-in speaker, headphones or Bluetooth hearing aids, and the reading can be slowed down.
- The family do the rest, from their own phones: choosing the books, and recording voice messages that play before the story.
- The books are theirs. A free library of classics is included, and any other book is added at the normal shop price and is yours to keep.
| Alexa with Audible | Reading to Ruth | |
|---|---|---|
| To listen | Say the right phrase | Press one big button |
| Needs | Clear speech, good hearing, an Amazon account | A device they already have, and wi-fi |
| Choosing books | By voice, or by someone in the Amazon account | The family, from their own phones |
| Cost | The speaker, plus each book or an Audible membership | One payment, plus any books you choose to buy |
Reading to Ruth is not connected with Amazon or Audible. Their features may have changed since this was written; check their own help pages.
No commands. No menus. One button.
An audiobook player for someone who is older, blind or hard of hearing, kept full by the family from their own phones.
Price from 1 January: £74.99 Founding price now: £49.99 once
Founding price until 31 December 2026. One payment for the whole family. No subscription.
Get started — £49.99Try the player first
60-day money-back guarantee, from the day they first use it.
Questions people ask
Can Alexa read audiobooks to an elderly person?
Yes. An Echo speaker reads Audible books when asked, for example “Alexa, read my book”. It suits people with clear speech and good hearing who can remember the phrases. People who are hard of hearing or forgetful can find it frustrating.
Is Audible easy for elderly people to use?
On a smart speaker it is simple if the commands can be remembered and heard. On a phone or tablet it is an ordinary app with menus, a library and a sign-in, which many older people find difficult.
Can I move Audible books to a simpler player?
No. Books bought inside Audible stay inside Audible's apps. Reading to Ruth plays the classics in its free library, books bought through the family page, and audiobook files you own outright.
What can I use instead of Alexa for audiobooks?
A player with a single button that keeps the place and needs no voice commands. There is more in our guide to audiobook players for older people.