mla works cited book review

MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): Book Reviews

• What Kind of Source Is This?
• Advertisements
• Books, eBooks & Pamphlets
• Book Reviews
• Class Handouts, Presentations, and Readings
• Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
• Government Documents
• Images, Artwork, Charts, Graphs & Tables
• Interviews and Emails (Personal Communications)
• Journal Articles
• Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Primary Sources
• Religious Texts
• Social Media
• Videos & DVDs
• In-Text Citation
• Works Quoted in Another Source
• No Author, No Date etc.
• Works Cited List & Sample Paper
• Annotated Bibliography
• Powerpoint Presentations

On This Page: Book Reviews

Book review - no title, book review - title refers to book being reviewed, book review - title doesn't refer to book being reviewed, abbreviating months.

In your works cited list, abbreviate months as follows: 

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper. 

Note : For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Author's Last Name, First Name. Review of  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any , by Book Author's First Name Last Name.  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.  Name of Database . https://doi.org/DOI Number if Given.

 Note : If the book review is from a source other than an article in the library's database, view the appropriate section on the MLA guide to determine how to cite the source after the name of the book's author.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Review." Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.  Name of Database . https://doi.org/DOI Number if Given.

 Note : If the book review is from a source other than an article in the library's database, view the appropriate section on the MLA guide to determine how to cite the source.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Review." Review of  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any,  by Book Author's First Name Last Name .   Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database . https://doi.org/DOI Number if Given. 

• << Previous: Books, eBooks & Pamphlets
• Next: Class Handouts, Presentations, and Readings >>
• Last Updated: Apr 15, 2024 11:24 AM
• URL: https://columbiacollege-ca.libguides.com/MLA9

MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): Book Reviews

• Advertisements
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Books and eBooks
• Book Reviews
• Class Notes and Presentations
• Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
• Government Documents
• Images, Artwork, Charts, Graphs and Tables
• Journal Articles
• Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Personal Communication (Interviews, Emails)
• Primary Sources
• Religious Texts
• Social Media
• Videos and DVDs
• When Creating Digital Assignments
• When Information Is Missing
• Works Quoted in Another Source
• Paraphrasing
• Works Cited List & Sample Paper
• Annotated Bibliography

On This Page

Book review - no title.

• Title Refers to Book being Reviewed
• Title Doesn't Refer to Book being Reviewed

Note : For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Author's Last Name, First Name. Review of Title of Book: Subtitle if Any , by Book Author's First Name Last Name. Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database . doi: DOI Number if Given.

Note : If the book review is from a source other than an article in the library's database, view the appropriate section on the MLA guide to determine how to cite the source after the name of the book's author.

Khovanova, Tanya. Review of  Love and Math: The Heart of Hidden Reality , by Edward Frenkel.  The College Mathematics Journal , vol. 45, no. 3, May 2014, pp. 230-231. JSTOR . doi: www.jstor.org/stable/10.4169/college.math.j.45.3.230.

(Author's Last Name Page Number)

Example: (Khovanova 230)

Learn more: See the  MLA Handbook , pp. 28-29

Book Review - Title Refers to Book being Reviewed

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Review." Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database . doi: DOI Number if Given.

Note : If the book review is from a source other than an article in the library's database, view the appropriate section on the MLA guide to determine how to cite the source.

Grosholz, Emily R. "Book Review: Realizing Reason: A Narrative of Truth and Knowledge by Danielle Macbeth." Journal of Humanistic Mathematics , vol. 7, no. 1, Jan. 2017, pp. 263-275, Academic Search Complete . doi: 10.5642/jhummath.20170120.

Example: (Grosholz 264)

Book Review - Title Doesn't Refer to Book being Reviewed

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Review." Review of Title of Book: Subtitle if Any by Book Author's First Name Last Name. Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database . doi: DOI Number if Given. 

Rodriques, Elias. "Lonesome for our Home." Review of Barraccon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo", by Zora Neale Hurston. Nation , vol. 306, no. 18, 18 June 2018, pp. 35-39. MAS Ultra - School Edition .

Example: (Rodriques 35)

MLA Handbook

Abbreviating Months

In your works cited list, abbreviate months as follows: 

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper. 

• << Previous: Books and eBooks
• Next: Class Notes and Presentations >>
• Last Updated: Jul 4, 2023 12:01 PM
• URL: https://lcc-ca.libguides.com/mla-citation-guide-9th-ed

Using the Library

• Library Catalogue

Subject Guides

Project guides, digital resources, reading lists, quick access.

• Junior School Catalog
• Senior School Catalog
• Sora Tutorials
• Sora Web Application
• Citation Guides

Lower Canada College Libraries

514-482-9916 ext. 473

LCC is an English coeducational K-11 school leading to the MEES Secondary Leaving Diploma / LCC est une école anglophone mixte de la maternelle à la 5e secondaire menant au DES du MEES.

Cite Your Sources in MLA 9th: Book Reviews

• Books and eBooks
• Encyclopedia and Dictionary Entries
• Government Documents
• Images, Artwork, Charts, Graphs and Tables
• Journal Articles
• Newspaper and Magazine Articles
• Social Media
• Videos and Other Multimedia
• Advertisements
• Book Reviews
• ChatGPT and Generative AI
• Emails, Interviews, and Personal Communications
• Religious Texts
• Formatting Your Paper
• How to Identify Source Types
• Other Styles

How to Cite Book Reviews

Book review without a title.

Review Author(s). Review of  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any , by Book Author's First Name Last Name.  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Publication Date, pp. Page Numbers.  Name of Database , https://doi.org/DOI [if any].

Khovanova, Tanya. Review of  Love and Math: The Heart of Hidden Reality , by Edward Frenkel.  The College Mathematics Journal , vol. 45, no. 3, May 2014, pp. 230-231.  JSTOR , https://doi.org/10.4169/college.math.j.45.3.230.

Book Review With a Title

Review Author(s). "Title of Review with Book Title Italicized."  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Publication Date, pp. Page Numbers.  Name of Database , https://doi.org/DOI [if any].

Grosholz, Emily R. "Book Review:  Realizing Reason: A Narrative of Truth and Knowledge  by Danielle Macbeth."  Journal of Humanistic Mathematics , vol. 7, no. 1, Jan. 2017, pp. 263-275.  Academic Search Complete , https://doi.org/10.5642/jhummath.20170120.

How to Format Author Names

• Works Cited List
• In-Text Citation

Last Name, First Name or Last Name, First Name Middle Name or Initial (if provided in source)

Name Examples:

Anzaldúa, Gloria Kendi, Ibram X. Wallace, David Foster

Citation Example:

Anzaldúa, Gloria.  Borderlands / La Frontera: The New Mestiza . 4th ed., Aunt Lute Books, 2012. 

Two Authors

Last Name, First Name, and First Name Last Name

Wykes, Maggie, and Barrie Gunter.  The Media and Body Image: If Looks Could Kill.  Sage, 2005.

Three or More Authors

First Author's Last Name, First Name, et al.

Chan, Sabrina S., et al.  Learning Our Names: Asian American Christians on Identity, Relationships, and Vocation.  InterVarsity Press, 2022.

Group or Corporate Author

If the group author is different from publisher.

If the group author and the publisher are different entities, list the Group Name as the author. 

Calgary Educational Partnership Foundation.  Employability Skills: Creating My Future . Nelson, 1996.

If the Group Author and Publisher Are the Same

If the group author and the publisher are the same, skip the author and list the title first. Then, list the group author only as the publisher.

Fair Housing—Fair Lending . Aspen Law & Business, 1985.

If a source has no author, skip the author and start with the title. Do not use "Anonymous" as the author name.

"How to Teach Yourself Guitar."  eHow,  Demand Media, www.ehow.com/how_5298173_teach-yourself-guitar.html. Accessed 24 June 2016.

(Last Name Page Number)

(Anzaldúa 30)

(First Author's Last Name and Second Author's Last Name Page Number)

(Wykes and Gunter 53)

(First Author's Last Name et al. Page Number)

(Chan et al. 97)

(Group Name Page Number)

(Calgary Educational Partnership Foundation 230)

If your full citation for a group author starts with the title rather than the group's name, follow the "No Author" in-text citation rules instead.

( Title of Longer Work  or "Title of Shorter Work" Page Number)

( Fair Housing  15)

("How to Teach")

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i format dates.

Dates in your Works Cited list should be formatted like this: Day Month Year. Month names should be abbreviated using the list below.  Example:  17 Oct. 2021.

For publication dates, include as much information as the source provides. This may be a full date, only the month and year, a season (such as Spring 2019), or just a publication year.

Month Abbreviations

In your Works Cited list, abbreviate months as follows:

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper.

What is a DOI?

Digital Object Identifiers, or DOIs, are unique numbers or hyperlinks assigned to some online resources, such as journal articles, to make them easier to find.

If a DOI is provided for a source, include it at the end of your citation after any page numbers. In your Works Cited list, you should always format a DOI as a URL beginning with "https://doi.org/" followed immediately by the DOI number.

Example:  For DOI "10.5642/jhummath.20170120," the URL version would be: https://doi.org/10.5642/jhummath.20170120

If no DOI is provided but a permalink or stable link is present, you can use that instead.

What if some information is missing?

If a source is missing information that you need for your Works Cited citation, you can skip that element and move on to the next element in the citation.

Examples: Some sources don't have an author; in this case, we skip the author and start our citation with the title. Most academic journals are published in volumes and issues, but some only have volumes; in this case, we list the volume number and skip the issue number. 

What if I don't know which source type I'm citing?

If you're not sure what type of source you're working with, don't worry! This is a very common challenge. Check out our page on Identifying Source Types .

What if I need to cite multiple sources by the same author?

Works Cited List:  To cite two or more works by the same author, give the name in the first entry only. For subsequent works by the same author, replace the author's name with three hyphens followed by a period (---.), which signifies that the name is the same as the preceding entry. Alphabetize works with the same author by title. 

In-Text Citations: To distinguish multiple works by the same author, add a comma followed by a shortened version of the title (usually the first 2-4 words) between the author name and the page number. Example: (Anzaldúa,  Borderlands / La Frontera  38). Alternately, you can mention the author and title in the sentence, and then only include the page number. 

For page numbers, should I use p. or pp.?

If you are citing a single page, use "p." If you are citing multiple pages, use "pp."

Example: If an article runs from page 10 to page 15, your citation should say "pp. 10-15" because it covers multiple pages. If it's a short article that only appears on page 11, your citation should say "p. 11".

More Information on MLA 9th

• Pierce Library's MLA 9th Quick Citation Guide Downloadable PDF with sample citations (including in-text) for different types of sources and a sample Works Cited page.
• MLA Style Center Tips for working in MLA Style, answers to common questions, and more.
• Purdue OWL MLA 9 Formatting & Style Guide Very thorough overview of MLA 9th with examples for how to construct both in-text and Works Cited entries.

• << Previous: Advertisements
• Next: ChatGPT and Generative AI >>
• Last Updated: May 9, 2024 1:58 PM
• URL: https://library.piercecollege.edu/mla9

Citation Help for MLA, 8th Edition: Book Review

• Book Review
• Email and Tweets
• Encyclopedia
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Master's Thesis or Project
• Music Albums & Songs
• Newspaper Article
• Formatting Your Paper
• Parenthetical Documentation
• Ethically Use Sources

Month Abbreviations

According to p. 95 of the MLA Handbook  8th ed. Spell out months in the body of your paper and abbreviate as follows in your works cited list: January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Multiple Authors?

Example: McGill, Ivan, John Kurt Glenn, and Alice  Brockbank. The Action Learning Handbook: Powerful Techniques for Education . Rutledge Falmer, 2014.

Explanation: List the first author last name first followed by the first and middle names followed by a comma. All other authors are listed first name followed by the last name. Insert the word "and" and a comma before the last author. Note: If there are more than three authors, just list the first one followed by et al., which is Latin for and others . There is a period after al but not et. Example: Nelson, Karl, et al. Fish Is for Everyone . Penguin Press, 2016. 

Bell, Madison Smartt. "Are You My Mother?" Review of Let the Northern Lights Erase Your       Name , by Vendela Vida. The New York Times Book Review, 31 Dec. 2016, p. 10.

Explanation

• << Previous: Book
• Next: eBook >>
• Last Updated: Feb 19, 2024 2:51 PM
• URL: https://libguides.css.edu/MLA8

MLA Citation Guide (8th Edition): Book Reviews

• Advertisements
• Books, eBooks & Pamphlets
• Book Reviews
• Class Notes & Presentations
• Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
• Government Documents
• Images, Artwork, Charts, Graphs & Tables
• Indigenous Resources
• Interviews and Emails (Personal Communications)
• Journal Articles
• Live Performances
• Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Primary Sources
• Religious Texts
• Social Media
• Videos & DVDs
• When Creating Digital Assignments
• Works Quoted in Another Source
• No author, no date etc
• In-Text Citation
• Sample Paper
• Annotated Bibliography

On This Page: Book Reviews

Book review - no title, book review - title refers to book being reviewed, book review - title doesn't refer to book being reviewed, abbreviating months.

In your Works Cited list, abbreviate months as follows: 

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper. 

Note : For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double-spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Author's Last Name, First Name. Review of  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any , by Book Author's First Name Last Name.  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.  Name of Database . doi: DOI Number if Given.

 Note : If the book review is from a source other than an article in the library's database, view the appropriate section in the MLA guide to determine how to cite the source after the name of the book's author.

Learn more: See the  MLA Handbook , pp. 28-29

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Review." Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.  Name of Database . doi: DOI Number if Given.

 Note : If the book review is from a source other than an article in the library's database, view the appropriate section on the MLA guide to determine how to cite the source.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Review." Review of  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any,  by Book Author's First Name Last Name .   Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database . doi: DOI Number if Given. 

• << Previous: Books, eBooks & Pamphlets
• Next: Class Notes & Presentations >>
• Last Updated: Jan 17, 2023 10:37 AM
• URL: https://libguides.capilanou.ca/mla

• MyExperience

MLA Citation Style, 9th Edition: Book Review

• In-Text References
• Works Cited
• One Author or Editor
• Multiple Authors or Editors
• Author and Editor
• Author and Translator
• Organization as Author
• Anonymous Work
• Chapter from an Edited Work
• Introduction, Preface, Foreword, or Afterword
• Multivolume Work
• Edition Other than the First
• Dictionary or Encyclopedia
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Book Review
• Basic Webpage
• Video Recording
• Sound Recording
• YouTube Video
• Interview or Personal Communication
• Lecture or Presentation
• Thesis or Dissertation
• Indirect Source
• Government Document
• AI Generated Content

Book Review - Examples

In-Text:       

(Powers 10)

Works Cited:

NOTE: If a review is untitled, include a title which incorporates the work that is being reviewed:

Help & Guide Contents

Home General Guidelines     In-Text Reference     Works Cited Books     One Author or Editor     Multiple Authors or Editors     Author and Editor     Author and Translator     Organization as Author     Anonymous Work     Chapter from an Edited Work     Introduction, Preface, Foreword, or Afterword     Multivolume Work     Edition Other than the First     Dictionary or Encyclopedia     E-Book Articles     Journal Article     Magazine Article     Newspaper Article     Book Review Websites     Basic Webpage     Blog Post     Tweet Audiovisual Media     Video Recording     Sound Recording     YouTube Video Other Sources     Interview or Personal Communication     Lecture or Presentation     Thesis or Dissertation     Scripture     Indirect Source     Government Document Plagiarism

• << Previous: Newspaper Article
• Next: Websites >>
• Last Updated: Mar 26, 2024 3:57 PM
• URL: https://library.ulethbridge.ca/mlastyle9

MLA Citation Guide: Book Reviews

• Advertisements
• Books, eBooks & Pamphlets
• Book Reviews
• Class Notes & Presentations
• Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
• Government Documents
• Images, Artwork, Charts, Graphs & Tables
• Interviews and Emails (Personal Communications)
• Journal Articles
• Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Primary Sources
• Religious Texts
• Social Media
• Videos & DVDs
• When Creating Digital Assignments
• When Information Is Missing
• Works Quoted in Another Source
• In-Text Citation
• Works Cited List
• Annotated Bibliography
• How Did We Do?

Abbreviating Months

In your works cited list, abbreviate months as follows: 

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper. 

Note : For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Book Review - No Title

Author's Last Name, First Name. Review of  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any , by Book Author's First Name Last Name.  Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.  Name of Database . doi: DOI Number if Given.

 Note : If the book review is from a source other than an article in the library's database, view the appropriate section on the MLA guide to determine how to cite the source after the name of the book's author.

Learn more: See the  MLA Handbook , pp. 28-29

Book Review - Title Refers to Book being Reviewed

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Review." Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.  Name of Database . doi: DOI Number if Given.

 Note : If the book review is from a source other than an article in the library's database, view the appropriate section on the MLA guide to determine how to cite the source.

Book Review - Title Doesn't Refer to Book being Reviewed

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Review." Review of  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any,  by Book Author's First Name Last Name .   Name of Journal , vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number. Name of Database . doi: DOI Number if Given. 

• << Previous: Books, eBooks & Pamphlets
• Next: Class Notes & Presentations >>
• Last Updated: Mar 5, 2024 9:42 AM
• URL: https://libguides.brenau.edu/MLAnew

Thursday, February 23: The Clark Library is closed today.

MLA Style (9th Edition) Citation Guide: Books & Ebooks

• Introduction to MLA Style
• Journal Articles
• Magazine/Newspaper Articles
• Books & Ebooks
• Government & Legal Documents
• Biblical Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Videos/DVDs/TV Shows
• How to Cite: Other
• 9th Edition Updates
• Additional Help

Table of Contents

Book in print, book with editor(s) but no author, translated book, chapters, short stories, essays, or articles from a book (anthology or collection), an introduction, preface, foreword, or afterword, article in a reference book (e.g. encyclopedias, dictionaries).

Note: For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Authors/Editors

An author can be a person but can also be an organization, or company. These are called group or corporate authors.

If you are citing a chapter from a book that has an editor, the author of the chapter is listed first, and is the name listed in the in-text citation.

Capitalize the first letter of every important word in the title. You do not need to capitalize words such as: in, of, or an.

If there is a colon (:) in the title, include what comes after the colon (also known as the subtitle).

You have the option to use the shortened name of the publisher by abbreviating "University" and "Press" (e.g. Oxford UP, not Oxford University Press).

You also have the option to remove articles (A, An, The), business abbreviations (e.g. Co., Inc.) and descriptive words (e.g. Books, House, Press, Publishers).

The format of all dates is: Date Month (shortened) Year. e.g. 5 Sept. 2012.

Whether to give the year alone or include a month and day depends on your source: write the full date as you find it there.

If no date is listed, omit it unless you can find that information available in a reliable source. In that case the date is cited in square brackets. e.g. [2008]

Page Numbers

Page number on your Works Cited page (but not for in-text citations) are now proceeded by p. for a single page number and pp. for a range of page numbers. E.g. p. 156 or pp. 79-92.

Access Date

Date of access is optional in MLA 8th/9th edition; it is recommended for pages that may change frequently or that do not have a copyright/publication date.

Last Name, First Name.  Title of Book . City of Publication, Publisher, Publication Date.

Note :  The city of publication should only be used if the book was published before 1900, if the publisher has offices in more than one country, or if the publisher is unknown in North America.

Works Cited List Example:

Kurlansky, Mark. Salt: A World History . Walker, 2002.

In-Text Citation Example:

(Author's Last Name Page Number)

Example: (Kurlansky 10)

Two Authors

Last Name, First Name of First Author, and First Name Last Name of Second Author.  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any.  Edition if given and is not first edition, Publisher Name often shortened, Year of publication. 

Note: Only the first author listed appears in "Last Name, First Name" format. Authors' names are separated by a comma. Before the last author to be listed, add the word "and."

 Jacobson, Diane L., and Robert Kysar.  A Beginner's Guide to the Books of the Bible,  Augsburg, 1991.

 (Author's Last Name and Author's Last Name Page Number)

 Example: (Jacobson and Kysar 25)

Three or More Authors

Last Name, First Name of First Author, et al.  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any.  Edition if given and is not first edition, Publisher Name often shortened, Year of publication. 

Note:  If you have three or more authors list only the first author's name followed by et al. instead of listing all authors names. For example Smith, John, et al. The first author is the first name listed on the work you are citing, not the first name alphabetically.

Nickels, William, et al.  Understanding Business.  9th ed., McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2016. 

(First Author's Last Name et al. Page Number)

Example: (Nickels et al. 5)

eBook from a Library Database

Last Name, First Name of First Author, et al.  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any.  Edition if given and is not first edition, Publisher Name often shortened, Year of publication.  Name of eBook Database,  doi:DOI number/URL/Permalink.

Calhoun, Craig. Sociology in America: A History . U of Chicago P, 2008.  ProQuest Ebook Central , ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/up/detail.action?docID=408466&pq-origsite=primo.  

 (Author's Last Name Page Number)

 Example: (Calhoun 53)

eBook for Kindle or other eBook Reader

Note:  The MLA uses the term "eBook" to refer to publications formatted specifically for reading with an eBook reader device (e.g., a Kindle) or a corresponding web application, which will not have URLs or DOIs. Citations will be very similar to physical book citations; just add the word "eBook" in the "version" slot of the MLA template (i.e., after the author, the title of the source, the title of the container, and the names of any other contributors).

Silva, Paul J.  How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing , eBook, American Psychological Association, 2007.

 Example: (Silva 30)

Note : When no page numbers are listed on an eBook, cite the chapter number instead in your in-text citation. Example: (Smith ch. 2).  

Last Name of editor, First Name, editor(s).  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any.  Edition if given and is not first edition, Publisher Name often shortened, Year of Publication.

 Wolfteich, Claire E., editor. Invitation to Practical Theology: Catholic Voices and Visions . Paulist, 2014. 

 (Last name page number)

 Example: (Wolfteich 103)

Electronic Materials

(More than one editor)

Kidwell, Jeremy, and Sean Doherty, editors. Theology and Economics: A Christian Vision of the Common Good.  eBook, Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. 

(Last name page number)

Example: (Kidwell and Doherty 103)

If you want to emphasize the work rather than the translator, cite as you would any other book. Add “translated by” and follow with the name(s) of the translator(s).

Boitani, Piero. The Bible and Its Rewritings . Translated by Anita Weston, Oxford UP, 1999.

Example: (Boitani 89)

Augustine. The Confessions of St. Augustine . Translated by Edward Bouverie Pusey, eBook, Floating Press, 1921.

Example: (Augustine 65) 

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Short Story, Essay, or Article."  Title of Book: Subtitle if Any,  edited by Editor's First Name and Last Name, Edition if given and is not first, Publisher Name often shortened, Year of publication, Page numbers of the essay, article, or short story. 

Boys, Mary C. “Learning in the Presence of the Other: Feminisms and the Interreligious Encounter.” Faith and Feminism: Ecumenical Essays , edited by Diane B. Lipsett, Westminster John Knox Press, 2014, pp. 103-114.

Note:  The first author's name listed is the author of the chapter/essay/short story.

Note: If there is no editor given you may leave out that part of the citation.

Example: (Boys 110)

When citing an introduction, a preface, a foreword, or an afterword, write the name of the author(s) of the piece you are citing. Then give the name of the part being cited, which should not be italicized or enclosed in quotation marks; in italics, provide the name of the work and the name of the author of the introduction/preface/foreword/afterword. Finish the citation with the details of publication and page range.

Farrell, Thomas B. Introduction.  Norms of Rhetorical Culture , by Farrell, Yale UP, 1993, pp. 1-13.

(Farrell 5)

If the writer of the piece is different from the author of the complete work, then write the full name of the principal work's author after the word "By." For example, if you were to cite Hugh Dalziel Duncan’s introduction of Kenneth Burke’s book Permanence and Change, you would write the entry as follows:

Duncan, Hugh Dalziel. Introduction.  Permanence and Change: An Anatomy of Purpose,  by Kenneth Burke, 1935, 3rd ed., U of California P, 1984, pp. xiii-xliv.

(Duncan xiv)

For entries in encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference works, cite the entry name as you would any other work in a collection but do not include the publisher information. Also, if the reference book is organized alphabetically, as most are, do not list the volume or the page number of the article or item.

"Ideology."  The American Heritage Dictionary , 3rd ed., Dell, 1997, p. 369.

("Ideology" 369)

Online Reference book

Isaacson, Joel. "Monet, Claude." Grove Art Online , Oxford Art Online , www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T059077.

• << Previous: Magazine/Newspaper Articles
• Next: Government & Legal Documents >>
• Last Updated: Apr 11, 2024 1:28 PM
• URL: https://libguides.up.edu/mla

Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / MLA Book Citation

How to Cite a Book in MLA

Books are written works or compositions that have been published. They are no longer restricted to paper and have evolved into the online realm.

Below are examples of how to cite different types of books in MLA 9. If you need a different citation style, there is also a guide on citing a book in APA .

In MLA, a basic book citation includes the following information:

• Author’s name
• Title of book
• Publisher of the book
• Year published

Additional information is needed when citing:

• Name of website or database
• Name of e-book device
• Name of the translator or editor
• Name of book editor or author
• Name of chapter author
• Page numbers or ranges used
• Volume number of the book
• City the book was published in

Citing a book in MLA (print)

View Screenshot | Cite your book

Citing a book found on a Website or database in MLA

Many books are now found online. Popular sites or databases that hold e-books include Google Books, Project Gutenberg, and EBSCO.

Cite your book

*Keep “https:” at the beginning of the URL only when citing a DOI.

Digital sources with no page numbers means that no page numbers should be included in the in-text citation.

Citing an E-book in MLA (found via an e-reader)

E-Readers are electronic devices that display e-books. Kindles and Nooks are some of the more popular e-readers available today. Individuals can purchase or borrow e-books and read them on their e-readers.

Cite your ebook

Since the page numbers of an e-book can vary across e-reader, text preferences, and other factors, you should not include a page number. This is because a consistent page number does not exist. You can include section numbers (sec., secs.) or chapter numbers (ch., chs.) instead, if they exist and you feel it would be helpful.

Citing a translated or edited book in MLA

Citing a chapter of a book in mla.

*In the above citation example, The Body of the Queen: Gender and Rule in the Courtly World, 1500-2000 is an edited book that features a chapter by Louis Montrose. The title of the chapter that he wrote is found in quotation marks (“Elizabeth Through the Looking Glass: Picturing the Queen’s Two Bodies”).

Citing a book with multiple authors in MLA

*et al. is Latin for “and others.”

Published October 20, 2011. Updated May 9, 2021.

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Sample Paper
• Works Cited
• MLA 8 Updates
• MLA 9 Updates
• View MLA Guide

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Website (no author)
• View all MLA Examples

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

In the works cited: If the organization is the author and publisher, don’t include an author and start the citation with the book’s title. If the author and publisher are different, use the organization name as the author.

When the chapter’s author is different from the book’s editor or author. Chapters are usually cited when you use anthologies, multi-volume sets, or a foreword/afterword written by someone other than the book’s main author.

Place the author’s last name and the quote chapter number in parenthesis after the borrowed quote or information. Example: “Feeling that Peter was on his way back, the Neverland had again woke into life” (Barrie ch. 5).

MLA is the style most often used in literature, language, history, art and theater subjects.

If any important information is missing (e.g., author’s name, title, publishing date, URL, etc.), first see if you can find it in the source yourself. If you cannot, leave the information blank and continue creating your citation.

Yes! Whether you’d like to learn how to construct citations on your own, our Autocite tool isn’t able to gather the metadata you need, or anything in between, manual citations are always an option. Click here for directions on using creating manual citations.

To cite a book with multiple authors in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the authors, publication year, book title, and publisher. The templates for in-text citation and works-cited-list entry of a book written by multiple authors and some examples are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

Citation in prose:

For sources with two authors, use both full author names in prose (e.g., Harold Napoleon and Richard Harris). For sources with three or more authors, use the first name and surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues” (e.g., Harold Napoleon and others). In subsequent citations, use only the surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues” (e.g., Napoleon and others).

First mention: Harold Napoleon and colleagues…. or Harold Napoleon and others ….

Subsequent occurrences: Napoleon and colleagues…. or Napoleon and others ….

Parenthetical:

In parenthetical citations, use only the author’s surname (e.g., Napoleon). For sources with two authors, use two surnames (e.g., Napoleon and Harris). For sources with three or more author names, use the first author’s surname followed by “et al.”

….(Napoleon et al.)

Works-cited-list entry template and example:

The title of the book is given in italics and title case.

Surname, F. M., et al. Title of the Book . Publisher, Publication Date.

Napoleon, Harold, et al. Yuuyaraq the Way of the Human Being: With Commentary . University of Alaska, 1996.

Use only the first author’s name in surname–first name order in the entry and follow it with “et al.”

A book is a printed copy, whereas an e-book is an online version and is available via different electronic media (e.g., epub and Kindle).

To cite a print book in MLA format, you need to know the names of the authors, the title of the book, publisher name, publication date, and page range (optional). You need the same information to cite an e-book, however, you will not include page numbers unless they are the same as those in the print version of the book. MLA mostly treats citations for print books and e-books the same, except for noting that the e-book version is being cited within the entry.

The templates and examples for in-text citations and works cited list entries for a book and an e-book are provided below:

In-text citation template and example for a book:

Author Surname

(Author Surname Page)

(Damasio 7)

Works cited list entry template and example:

Surname, First Name. Title of the Book . Publisher, Publication Date, Page range.

Damasio, Antonio. Emotion, Reason and the Feeling Brain . Penguin, 1994.

In-text citation template and example for an e-book:

(Author Surname)

Author’s Surname, First Name. Title of the Book . E-book ed., Publisher, Publication Date.

Davis, Barbara. The Keeper of Happy Endings . E-book ed., Lake Union Publishing, 2021.

MLA Citation Examples

Writing Tools

Citation Generators

Other Citation Styles

Plagiarism Checker

Upload a paper to check for plagiarism against billions of sources and get advanced writing suggestions for clarity and style.

Get Started

MLA Citation Examples

• Volume and Issue Numbers
• Page Numbers
• Citing a Source within a Source
• DOIs and URLs
• In-Text Citations
• Academic Journals
• Encyclopedia Articles
• Book, Film, and Product Reviews

Review without a specific title

Review with a title.

• Online Classroom Materials
• Conference Papers
• Technical and Research Reports
• Dissertations and Theses
• Interviews and E-mail Messages
• AI: ChatGPT, etc.
• Review of Title of Work , by Author.
• Title of Journal ,
• Volume number, issue number,
• Publication Date,
• Page number(s).
• Title of Database ,
• DOI or URL.

Reviewer. Review of Title of Work , by Author. Title of Journal , vol. #, no. #, date, pp. #-#. Title of Database , DOI or URL.

Conn, David R. Review of The World as We Knew It: Dispatches from a Changing Climate , by Amy Brady and Tajja Isen. Library Journal , vol. 147, no. 4, Apr. 2022, p. 104. EBSCOhost , ezproxy.umgc.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=155859448&site=eds-live&scope=site.

• "Title of Review."

Reviewer. "Title of Review." Review of Title of Work , by Author. Title of Journal , vol. #, no. #, date, pp. ##-##. Title of Database , DOI or URL.

Grimes, William. "Beyond Mandalay, the Road to Isolation and Xenophobia." Review of The River of Lost Footsteps: Histories of Burma , by Thant Myint-U. New York Times , 13 Dec. 2006, pp. E8+. ProQuest , ezproxy.umgc.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/433471566?accountid=14580.

• << Previous: Encyclopedia Articles
• Next: Websites >>
• Last Updated: Dec 11, 2023 10:40 AM
• URL: https://libguides.umgc.edu/mla-examples

MLA Citation Guide (9th edition) : Works Cited and Sample Papers

• Getting Started
• How do I Cite?
• In-Text Citations
• Works Cited and Sample Papers
• Additional Resources

Header Image

Quick Rules for an MLA Works Cited List

Your research paper ends with a list of all the sources cited in your paper. Here are some quick rules for this Works Cited list:

• Begin the works cited list on a new page after the text.
• Name it "Works Cited," and center the section label in bold at the top of the page.
• Order the reference list alphabetically by author's last name.
• Double-space the entire list (both within and between entries).
• Apply a hanging indent of 0.5 in. to each entry. This means that the first line of the reference is flush left and subsequent lines are indented 0.5 in. from the left margin.

Sample Paper with Works Cited List

The Modern Language Association (MLA) has compiled  several sample papers  that include explanations of the elements and formatting in MLA 9th edition. 

MLA Title Pages

MLA Title Page: Format and Template   This resource discusses the correct format for title pages in MLA style and includes examples.

• << Previous: In-Text Citations
• Next: Additional Resources >>
• Last Updated: Jun 24, 2022 12:43 PM
• URL: https://paperpile.libguides.com/mla

• Plagiarism and grammar
• Citation guides

Cite a Review in MLA

Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper, consider your source's credibility. ask these questions:, contributor/author.

• Has the author written several articles on the topic, and do they have the credentials to be an expert in their field?
• Can you contact them? Do they have social media profiles?
• Have other credible individuals referenced this source or author?
• Book: What have reviews said about it?
• What do you know about the publisher/sponsor? Are they well-respected?
• Do they take responsibility for the content? Are they selective about what they publish?
• Take a look at their other content. Do these other articles generally appear credible?
• Does the author or the organization have a bias? Does bias make sense in relation to your argument?
• Is the purpose of the content to inform, entertain, or to spread an agenda? Is there commercial intent?
• Are there ads?
• When was the source published or updated? Is there a date shown?
• Does the publication date make sense in relation to the information presented to your argument?
• Does the source even have a date?
• Was it reproduced? If so, from where?
• If it was reproduced, was it done so with permission? Copyright/disclaimer included?
• Citation Machine® Plus
• Citation Guides
• Chicago Style
• Harvard Referencing
• Terms of Use
• Global Privacy Policy
• Cookie Notice
• DO NOT SELL MY INFO

How do I cite a review of a product?

To cite a review of a product, such as a toaster, follow the examples for citing reviews provided in appendix 2 of the MLA Handbook . How you cite the review will depend on whether it is signed (i.e., whether it lists the author’s name or was published anonymously) and on whether it has a unique title. The following shows an example works-cited-list entry for a signed review with a unique title:

Sullivan, Michael, and Sabrina Imbler. “The Best Toaster.” The New York Times , 19 July 2022, www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-toaster/.

Below is an example of a review that has a unique title but was published anonymously:

“Five Best Toasters of 2022, Tested by Food Network Kitchen.”  Food Network , 15 June 2022, www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/shopping/product-reviews/best-toasters.

If the review does not have a unique title, use a description in the Title of Source element ( MLA Handbook 5.23), as in the following example: 

Review of Café Couture Smart Toaster Oven with Air Fry. Consumer Reports , 2022, www.consumerreports.org/products/toasters-toaster-ovens-28972/toaster-oven-28731/cafe-couture-smart-toaster-oven-with-air-fry-407059/.

MLA Handbook . 9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021.  MLA Handbook Plus , 2021, mlahandbookplus.org/.

Advertisement

Supported by

editors’ choice

6 New Books We Recommend This Week

Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times.

• Share full article

It’s a happy coincidence that we recommend Becca Rothfeld’s essay collection “All Things Are Too Small” — a critic’s manifesto “in praise of excess,” as her subtitle has it — in the same week that we also recommend Justin Taylor’s maximalist new novel “Reboot,” an exuberant satire of modern society that stuffs everything from fandom to TV retreads to the rise of conspiracy culture into its craw. I don’t know if Rothfeld has read Taylor’s novel, but I get the feeling she would approve. Maybe you will too: In the spirit of “more, bigger, louder,” why not pick those up together?

Our other recommendations this week include a queer baseball romance novel, an up-to-the-minute story about a widower running for the presidency of his local labor union, a graphic novelist’s collection of spare visual stories and, in nonfiction, a foreign policy journalist’s sobering look at global politics in the 21st century. Happy reading. — Gregory Cowles

REBOOT Justin Taylor

This satire of modern media and pop culture follows a former child actor who is trying to revive the TV show that made him famous. Taylor delves into the worlds of online fandom while exploring the inner life of a man seeking redemption — and something meaningful to do.

“His book is, in part, a performance of culture, a mirror America complete with its own highly imagined myths, yet one still rooted in the Second Great Awakening and the country’s earliest literature. It’s a performance full of wit and rigor.”

From Joshua Ferris’s review

Pantheon | $28

YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY Cat Sebastian

When a grieving reporter falls for the struggling baseball player he’s been assigned to write about, their romance is like watching a Labrador puppy fall in love with a pampered Persian cat: all eager impulse on one side and arch contrariness on the other.

“People think the ending is what defines a romance, and it does, but that’s not what a romance is for. The end is where you stop, but the journey is why you go. … If you read one romance this spring, make it this one.”

From Olivia Waite’s romance column

Avon | Paperback, $18.99

ALL THINGS ARE TOO SMALL: Essays in Praise of Excess Becca Rothfeld

A striking debut by a young critic who has been heralded as a throwback to an era of livelier discourse. Rothfeld has published widely and works currently as a nonfiction book critic for The Washington Post; her interests range far, but these essays are united by a plea for more excess in all things, especially thought.

“Splendidly immodest in its neo-Romantic agenda — to tear down minimalism and puritanism in its many current varieties. … A carnival of high-low allusion and analysis.”

From David Gates’s review

Metropolitan Books | $27.99

THE RETURN OF GREAT POWERS: Russia, China, and the Next World War Jim Sciutto

Sciutto’s absorbing account of 21st-century brinkmanship takes readers from Ukraine in the days and hours ahead of Russia’s invasion to the waters of the Taiwan Strait where Chinese jets flying overhead raise tensions across the region. It’s a book that should be read by every legislator or presidential nominee sufficiently deluded to think that returning America to its isolationist past or making chummy with Putin is a viable option in today’s world.

“Enough to send those with a front-row view into the old basement bomb shelter. … The stuff of unholy nightmares.”

From Scott Anderson’s review

Dutton | $30

THE SPOILED HEART Sunjeev Sahota

Sahota’s novel is a bracing study of a middle-aged man’s downfall. A grieving widower seems to finally be turning things around for himself as he runs for the top job at his labor union and pursues a love interest. But his election campaign gets entangled in identity politics, and his troubles quickly multiply.

“Sahota has a surgeon’s dexterous hands, and the reader senses his confidence. … A plot-packed, propulsive story.”

From Caoilinn Hughes’s review

Viking | $29

SPIRAL AND OTHER STORIES Aidan Koch

The lush, sparsely worded work of this award-winning graphic novelist less resembles anything recognizably “comic book” than it does a sort of dreamlike oasis of art. Her latest piece of masterful minimalism, constructed from sensuous washes of watercolor, pencil, crayon and collage, pulses with bright pigment and tender melancholy.

“Many of these pages are purely abstract, but when Koch draws details, it’s in startlingly specific and consistent contours that give these stories a breadth of character as well as depiction.”

From Sam Thielman’s graphic novels column

New York Review Comics | $24.95

Explore More in Books

Want to know about the best books to read and the latest news start here..

The complicated, generous life  of Paul Auster, who died on April 30 , yielded a body of work of staggering scope and variety .

“Real Americans,” a new novel by Rachel Khong , follows three generations of Chinese Americans as they all fight for self-determination in their own way .

“The Chocolate War,” published 50 years ago, became one of the most challenged books in the United States. Its author, Robert Cormier, spent years fighting attempts to ban it .

Joan Didion’s distinctive prose and sharp eye were tuned to an outsider’s frequency, telling us about ourselves in essays that are almost reflexively skeptical. Here are her essential works .

Each week, top authors and critics join the Book Review’s podcast to talk about the latest news in the literary world. Listen here .

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Welcome to the Purdue Online Writing Lab

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction.

The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives. The Purdue OWL offers global support through online reference materials and services.

A Message From the Assistant Director of Content Development 

The Purdue OWL® is committed to supporting  students, instructors, and writers by offering a wide range of resources that are developed and revised with them in mind. To do this, the OWL team is always exploring possibilties for a better design, allowing accessibility and user experience to guide our process. As the OWL undergoes some changes, we welcome your feedback and suggestions by email at any time.

Please don't hesitate to contact us via our contact page  if you have any questions or comments.

All the best,

Social Media

Facebook twitter.