Google just gave Gemini access to your ebooks — 7 prompts for readers and students

(Image credit: Shutterstock) Ebooks made it possible to carry a collection of books with you wherever you go. Now, Google’s new Expert Intelligence feature could make ebooks more interactive. It lets you add eligible titles purchased through Google Play Books directly to Gemini Notebook formally known as NotebookLM, where you can ask questions grounded in the complete text.That could mean catching up on a novel you abandoned three weeks ago, creating a book-club guide or turning a nonfiction book into a a study guide. You can also generate quizzes, infographics and Audio Overviews based on what you’ve read.Here’s how to add a book and seven prompts to try once it’s there.What is Expert Intelligence?Expert Intelligence connects Gemini Notebook with selected books from Google Play Books. Google says more than 100,000 titles are eligible at launch, although the feature won’t work with every ebook in your library.Once a supported book has been added, Gemini can answer questions based on its text and provide citations connecting its responses to the source. You can also turn the material into flashcards, quizzes, reports, infographics and podcast-style Audio Overviews, which can be especially useful for students.The book doesn’t have to sit in the notebook alone. Gemini Notebook supports sources including Google Docs, PDFs, websites, YouTube videos and EPUB files, allowing you to compare the book with your own notes or other material.How to add an eligible ebook (Image credit: Amazon)First, open the book’s page in Google Play Books and select the Tools badge. Eligible titles will list Gemini Notebook as an available option.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.You can also open Gemini Notebook, select Add sources and look for Google Play Books. Choose the book you want to use and check that it appears in the Sources panel before entering your prompt.Only eligible ebooks obtained through Google Play Books can be added through this integration. Books you uploaded to your Play Books library aren’t supported, although you can upload a PDF or EPUB directly to Gemini Notebook.Here are 7 fun prompts to try:1. Create a spoiler-free character guideAnyone who has returned to a fantasy novel after a break knows the problem: there are 14 characters, three kingdoms and at least two people with nearly identical names.This prompt asks Gemini to remind you who everyone is without revealing what happens next. Try the prompt: Create a spoiler-free guide to the characters introduced through Chapter [NUMBER]. For each character, explain who they are, how they are connected to the other characters and what I should remember about them. Do not reveal anything that happens after this chapter.2. Catch up without starting again (Image credit: Amazon)If you haven’t opened a book in several weeks, you may remember the broad plot but not the smaller details you need to continue. Try the prompt: I have read through Chapter [NUMBER] but haven’t picked up this book in a while. Remind me of the important events, character relationships and unresolved questions up to this point. Do not include spoilers or details from later chapters.Since the response is generated by AI, there is still a chance it could reveal too much. If avoiding spoilers is especially important, check where its citations lead before reading the entire answer.3. Start your own book clubGemini can create a discussion guide that goes beyond asking everyone whether they liked the ending.Try the prompt: Create 10 book-club questions about this book. Focus on character motivations, central themes, difficult decisions and the ending. Avoid questions that can be answered with a simple fact from the text.You can make the questions more specific by asking Gemini to concentrate on a particular character, relationship or theme.4. Turn the book into a podcast (Image credit: Tom's Guide)Gemini Notebook’s Audio Overviews turn source material into a podcast-style conversation between AI hosts.For nonfiction, try the prompt: Create an Audio Overview exploring the author’s central argument, the strongest evidence supporting it and any ideas readers might reasonably question. Keep the discussion conversational and use examples from the book.For fiction, use: Create an Audio Overview discussing how the main character changes throughout the book. Focus on the decisions that drive that change instead of simply retelling the plot.A business or self-help book may contain hundreds of pages of advice when you only need help with one specific problem. This prompt asks Gemini to pull out the relevant ideas and organize them into something you can use. Try the prompt: Using only the principles outlined in this book, help me create a practical plan for [GOAL]. Separate the author’s recommendations from your own suggestions, cite the relevant sections and identify anything I should discuss with a qualified professional.Be particularly careful when applying information from books about health, mental health, money or the law.Gemini can help you understand an author’s advice, but neither the book nor its AI-generated interpretation replaces professional guidance.6. Test what you rememberInstead of rereading your highlights, ask Gemini to find out how much of the book you retained.Try the prompt: Create a 10-question test evaluating my understanding of this book. Include five multiple-choice questions, three short-answer questions and two questions that require me to apply its ideas. Don’t show me the answers until I submit mine.You can also tell Gemini which chapters to cover or ask it to increase the difficulty after each round.7. Explore an untold sceneThis is where things get more experimental. Gemini may be able to use its understanding of a novel to imagine a conversation or event that happened outside the original story.Try the prompt: Write a brief, original scene showing what might have happened between [CHARACTER A] and [CHARACTER B] after [EVENT]. Keep their personalities consistent with the book, but do not copy passages or imitate the author’s writing style. Clearly label the result as unofficial fan fiction.Gemini may limit or refuse some requests involving copyrighted characters or an author’s distinctive style. Owning an ebook also doesn’t give you the copyright to its characters or story. Treat anything Gemini generates as a personal creative exercise unless you have permission to publish or sell it.Final thoughts Sharing a notebook containing an ebook does not give everyone else a free copy of the book. Recipients must purchase the same title through Google Play Books before they can interact with it or view it as a source. According to Google’s sharing documentation, access to artifacts generated from the notebook may also require recipients to own the source ebook.That restriction is central to Google’s approach. Gemini gets access to the complete text, but only after the reader has purchased an eligible copy. For now, that makes Expert Intelligence an extension of the ebook rather than a replacement for buying it.Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments.Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok. More from Tom's GuidePerplexity’s new local-first AI runs on your PC — and asks before using the cloudChatGPT can learn your repetitive tasks by watching you — here are 7 prompts to tryThe best way to use ChatGPT for writing isn't writing — 7 prompts I use to make it my creative partner Amanda Caswell is the AI Editor at Tom's Guide and one of today’s leading voices in AI and technology. A celebrated contributor to various news outlets, her sharp insights and relatable storytelling have earned her a loyal readership. Amanda’s work has been recognized with prestigious honors, including outstanding contribution to media.Known for her ability to bring clarity to even the most complex topics, Amanda seamlessly blends innovation and creativity, inspiring readers to embrace the power of AI and emerging technologies. As a certified prompt engineer, she continues to push the boundaries of how humans and AI can work together.Beyond her journalism career, Amanda is a long-distance runner and mom of three. She lives in New Jersey.