Alexa’s available skills Down Under are on the rise. Starting today, Aussies and Kiwis with an Audible membership can ask their Alexa-powered smart speaker to play their favourite audiobooks for them.

All you need to do is say, “Alexa, read [name of book]” and you can listen to your heart’s content, allowing you to relax, whip up a meal in the kitchen, or keep up with your chores without missing out on any reading.

If you need to pause or resume the narration, just say “Alexa, pause” or “Alexa, resume my book” and Amazon’s digital assistant will do the needful. By saying, “Alexa, go back” or “Alexa, go forward”, the digital assistant will skip 30 seconds in the requested direction. You'll even be able to skip chapters, and know that Alexa will begin playing your audiobook where you left off the last time.

With hundreds of thousands of audiobook titles to choose from, and more being added every day, your book choices are plenty. For new members, Audible offers the first audiobook on the house, with memberships costing $16.45 per month after a free 30-day trial.