Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and I’ve been reading a fantastic book recently. Of course, all my friends need to know about this, but when I’m writing down the title of the book, should I underline it, italicize it, put it in quotes, or do something else entirely?
It depends on what you’re using to do the writing, and whose opinion you value most. If you’re typing, you should generally italicize book titles. That is, unless you’re a big Associated Press fan. This style guide recommends using quotes for book titles. I’m not a fan of this personally, as it loses the distinction between short and long works, such as essays and books. If you’re handwriting, you should underline book titles, simply because that’s easier to write and read than handwritten italics.
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