Google Play Books gets custom shelves

A "top request from Play Books readers" finally comes to the Google Play Books app. You can now create custom shelves to arrange your library better. It gives you the option to organize your books into "themed collections." You can access this new feature via Library > Shelves. You can access it between the "Your books" and "Series" sections. At the bottom of the new Shelves tab, there's a "Create new" button where you can name your new shelf. After you long press on ay work, it will surface an "Add to shelf" button.

If you want alerts on discounted wishlist items, you have to make sure you've opted into receiving marketing emails from Google Play. Once you've done that, Google will email you if a title on your wishlist gets discounted.

Source: 9to5Google

Google Play Books introduces new beta features on the web

Google Play Books have a new set of features for you to try out and help organize your digital shelves. These new beta features are currently only accessible on the web app. Just click on the Settings icon on the top-right corner to access the "Beta features" option.

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Google Play Books on Android finally gets Material Theme redesign

It’s taken longer than it should’ve but it’s finally here, sort of. Google Play Books on Android finally gets the Material Theme design treatment. It now matches with the white colour theme Google carries across its other apps. You get a redesigned tab bar, new typography, smaller thumbnails with rounded corners, and an overall cleaner, sleek look. The only gripe we really have with it is how long it takes Google to update its properties with this redesign. As GSMArena points out, the iOS version came out way earlier (last September) than this Android one. And it seems to be rolling out slowly, too, so if your app hasn’t updated yet, don’t be too surprised. But for now, know the update is heading your way.

Google Play Books adds ‘Smart Resume’ feature for audiobooks

It seems like a no-brainer that any audiobook or podcast app should have a way for users to stop on a certain chapter or part and have the app pick it up where you left off. But that was missing from Google Play Books until recently, that is. The app now has what Google calls Smart Resume. The social giant calls it this way because it’ll actually rewind to the start of a sentence or word to help remind you where you were the last time you listened to your audiobook.

This update also introduces bookmarks, letting you mark important or favorite parts, and with Google Assistant integration the audiobook feature can be integrated into the new Routines feature. This means, you just need to add Google Play Books to your morning routine or work commute routine and it’ll cue it up for you. The update also brings the ability to speed up or slow down playback.

Source: SlashGear