What are the best ways to write a literature review?

When you say "literature review" I'll assume you mean review of the journal literature you read while writing a scholarly paper rather a book review of great or obscure literature, which generally boils down to "what I liked and disliked about these books." A good review of the literature reads like a summary of what you read in order to write your paper. The guidance you were given for your paper should include instructions about your review of the literature, and if it does, follow those slavishly. If you have some freedom, write as though you were describing a many-way conversation among all the authors your read. "In 1602, Jones claimed to have discovered perpetuale motionarium or perpetual motion. (Jones, 1602) Only 3 years later, Smith's treatise, On What Happens to Little Bitty Sharp Things We Leave Around the House Where Someone Could Hurt Themselves" (Smith, 1605) was published.