Smart AI Tools to Help You Read More Books

Do you ever wonder when you’ll catch up when you’re buried in books? You’re not alone.

With so many recommendations, a long to-do list, and everyday life getting in the way, even the most dedicated readers may struggle to find the time. Thankfully, there are artificial intelligence (AI) tools that can summarize books, turn text to audio, and even offer helpful context for what you’re reading.

Whether you’re a busy professional trying to fit in learning, a student cramming through coursework, or a book lover hoping to finish that one novel before the year ends, these AI tools aren’t meant to replace the enjoyment that comes from reading. They are there to make things easier, smarter, and maybe more fun.

Using a readwise reader is the most effective method for organizing and remembering what you read.

For readers who study, highlight, and annotate, Readwise Reader is the perfect AI companion.

It compiles all of your saved book notes, article highlights, and web information in one place. The platform’s AI assistant, Ghostreader, helps you make the most of whatever you’re reading by automatically summarizing texts saved in your account and making connections between ideas across your library. To help you remember more of what you read, an AI tool also employs spaced repetition. At set intervals, you receive a daily evaluation via email or the app.

It functions as though you are reading a business book like Atomic Habits or a technical report for work. Without requiring you to review your notes after you’re done, Readwise summarizes your highlights, identifies recurring themes, and syncs everything to your Notion or Obsidian account for continued learning.

Whether your objective is to stay current with research or delve deeper into a subject, Readwise helps you turn reading into active knowledge retention.

Speechify: The Best Reading App for Anytime, Anywhere

If you’re more of an auditory learner, Speechify allows you to read while you’re out for a walk with your dog. This AI-powered text-to-speech app allows you to continue reading while on the go, exercising, or cooking, by converting books, articles, and web pages into natural-sounding audio.

I love Speechify’s more than 200 voice options, which include popular voices like Gwyneth Paltrow and Snoop Dogg. You can change your story’s tone to sound more conversational or casual. The voices are incredibly lifelike, despite the free version’s tendency to sound slightly robotic; this is a trade-off that makes the premium upgrade more appealing for an enhanced listening experience.

Another feature of Speechify is optical character recognition (OCR), which lets you snap a photo of a page, document, or handwritten message and instantly have it read aloud. Readers with visual impairments or professionals who need to assess textual content hands-free will find this feature useful in addition to auditory learners.

The greatest for in-depth reading and real-time research is Perplexity AI.

If you like learning more about a subject, Perplexity AI is the ideal reading companion for you. It gives you up-to-date information that you can verify while reading, thanks to its superb real-time online search and source citation features. This is perfect if you want to go beyond summaries and fully understand the how and why of the material you’re studying.

I regularly use Perplexity for real-time research because it compiles the most recent data from the internet and clearly cites its sources, so you know exactly where everything comes from.

Imagine you are reading The Innovator’s Dilemma and wondering how its concepts apply to modern startups. Instead of opening a dozen tabs, you can ask Perplexity to give you a summary of recent case studies or give examples of companies that are currently using the same strategies.

It’s revolutionary for nonfiction readers who want to quickly go over complex content, research related topics, or double-check facts.

In conclusion, read more carefully and learn more efficiently.

AI won’t replace the enjoyment of reading. Rather, it enhances the experience when used with the right equipment. From helping you remember crucial information to making reading more accessible through speech generation, these AI apps have the potential to completely change the way you interact with books and articles.

Instead of working against your individual reading preferences, the best AI tools adapt to them. Whether you’re a student preparing for an exam, a professional keeping up with industry trends, or someone who is motivated to finally finish that endless reading list, the right AI tool makes it simple to stay informed, motivated, and involved.

Reading is not meant to be entirely replaced. Enhancing, customizing, and adjusting the experience to your present learning style are the objectives.