a book called

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'a book called' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when the title of a book is followed by a description or subtitle. For example: "I'm reading a book called The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

He wrote a book called "Big Deal".

The Economist

He has a book called "No Apologies".

The New York Times

And he wrote a book called Revolution.

Independent

It comes from a book called "Happiness".

The New Yorker

I pointed at a book called "Serenity".

The New York Times

A book called "Einstein in Love"?

The New York Times - Books

I recommend a book called "Climate Science: The Complete Briefing".

The New Yorker

"Have you read a book called I Have Life?

Independent

(He wrote a book called: "Let My People Go Surfing").

The Economist

In 1941, Burnham published a book called "The Managerial Revolution".

The New Yorker

So Cook wrote a book, called "Percentage Baseball".

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a book called" in academic writing, make sure to provide full bibliographic information, including the author, publication year, and publisher, in a footnote or bibliography.

Common error

Avoid capitalizing every word in the book title unless it follows specific style guidelines (e.g., APA, MLA). Stick to capitalizing the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a book called" serves as an introductory phrase to identify a specific book by its title. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this construction is grammatically sound and very common. It functions as a noun phrase modifier, providing additional information about the book being referenced.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a book called" is a grammatically correct and exceedingly common way to introduce a book title, as verified by Ludwig AI. Predominantly found in news and media contexts, this phrase serves the purpose of identifying and familiarizing the audience with a specific publication. For more formal settings, consider alternatives like "a book entitled". Remember to properly format the book title with quotation marks or italics for clarity. By avoiding capitalization errors and varying your sentence structure, you can enhance the overall quality of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a book entitled

Synonymous, adding formality with "entitled".

entitled

A concise way to introduce a title.

the book titled

Specifies a particular book.

a volume titled

Replaces "book" with "volume" for a more formal tone.

in a book called

Adds context of being located within a book.

a publication named

Substitutes "book" with "publication", broadening the scope to include various written works.

bearing the title

More descriptive and formal than "called".

a work known as

Uses "work" instead of "book" and "known as" to emphasize the recognition of the publication.

a manual entitled

Specifies the kind of publication.

a study titled

Replaces book to study emphasizing a research nature of publication

FAQs

How do I properly format a book title after using "a book called"?

Enclose the book title in quotation marks or use italics to differentiate it from the rest of the sentence. For example, "I read "a book called "The Great Gatsby""" or "I read a book called The Great Gatsby".

What's a more formal alternative to "a book called"?

For a more formal tone, consider using "a book entitled" or "a volume titled". These alternatives are suitable for academic or professional writing.

Can I use "a book named" instead of "a book called"?

While "a book named" is grammatically correct, "a book called" is more common and natural-sounding in contemporary English. "Named" might be preferred when emphasizing the act of naming.

How can I vary my sentence structure when introducing a book title?

Instead of always starting with "a book called", try phrases like "In his book, [Title]...", "[Author] wrote "a book entitled" [Title]...", or "[Title], a book by [Author]...". This adds variety to your writing.