Your 'Twilight' refresher as the series turns 20
'Twilight' is among the most popular vampire love stories across books and movies – generations are still debating Edward Cullen vs. Jacob Black.
The fandom persists two decades later, inspiring scores of die-hard readers, fanfic (we're looking at you, 'Fifty Shades of Grey') and still-relevant quotes like 'Bella! Where the hell have you been, loca?' The series also showed that female-led stories could be blockbusters, paving the way for fantasy favorites like 'The Hunger Games' and 'Divergent.'
As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first book's publication, here's your definitive guide to the Stephenie Meyer universe.
How many books are in the 'Twilight' series?
There are four books in the 'Twilight' series, but technically seven in the world of 'Twilight' as Meyer wrote two companion novels and a novella that reimagine or dive deeper into the story.
'Life and Death' is 'Twilight' reimagined. This gender-swapped novel turns Bella and Edward's story into Beaufort and Edythe, letting a female vampire take the lead.
'Midnight Sun,' Meyer's latest release, is 'Twilight' from Edward's perspective.
'The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner' is a novella told from the perspective of one of the newborn vampires in Victoria's coven, introduced in 'Eclipse.' It follows her friendships, romance and the mysteries of vampire life beyond hunting Bella and the Cullens.
When did the 'Twilight' books come out? 'Twilight' books in order
Here are all the 'Twilight' books by Stephenie Meyer in order of release:
Who wrote 'Twilight'?
Stephenie Meyer wrote 'Twilight.' She was inspired by a dream about a girl and a sparkly vampire talking in a meadow.
Meyer would eventually become USA TODAY's Author of the Year in 2008 after she captured the top four spots on our Best-selling Booklist, something no author had done before. She's written two other books outside of "Twilight": "The Host" and "The Chemist."
Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@usatoday.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
13 minutes ago
- USA Today
See Pixar's 'Elio' triumph over camp bullies in exclusive deleted scene
The world has been robbed of an epic scene where Pixar's 11-year-old 'Elio' goes full beast mode at Camp Carver − dodging pine-cone projectiles and pounding pickle juice. Until now. The scene, called "Carver Legend," appears here and in the Aug. 19 digital release of "Elio." The full animated scene, deleted before the film's theatrical release, features the clone of young hero Elio Solis (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) flying through a grueling obstacle course. "The scene is very moody and rich, the animation is hilarious," says Madeline Sharafian, who directed "Elio" with Domee Shi and Adrian Molina, when introducing the clip. "It's just a really awesome, energetic scene to watch." Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox What is 'Elio' about? "Elio" follows an extraterrestrial-obsessed orphan who is mistakenly identified as Earth's ambassador after being beamed into an alien realm called the Communiverse. As Elio navigates intergalactic diplomacy and befriends aliens such the decapod-like Glordon (Remy Edgerly), he confronts a looming cosmic crisis brought on by Glordon's aggressive father Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett). What's in the deleted 'Elio' scene? While abducted Elio is exploring the galaxy, the Communiverse sends a clone to stand in for the young earthling. In an early version the movie, Elio is at sleepaway camp when he's alien-napped, so Clone Elio took his place at Camp Carver. Bullies subject the "new kid" Elio to the Camp Carver newbie tradition of running the insidious gauntlet. To everyone's shock, Clone Elio sails through the challenges using his alien power. He chugs a family-size jar of pickle juice and flies through a ropes course as campers throw the sharpest pine cones at him. When one camper shoots a boxing glove-tipped arrow, Clone Elio snares the weapon and uses it to scare off the waiting gladiator − the gauntlet's final challenge. The entire group chants the name of the triumphant Elio and Clone Elio accepts the applause. Why was 'Carver Legend' cut from Elio? However great the scene, the "Elio" story changed during production. The filmmakers decided to have Elio at home with his guardian, Aunt Olga (voiced by Zoe Saldaña), "to focus on their relationship," according to producer Mary Alice Drumm. "It felt stronger to have Clone Elio try to impress Olga with good behavior, but to have Olga realize there was something off," Drumm tells USA TODAY. "This wasn't the nephew she loved and knew so well." When is the 'Elio' digital release? Disney and Pixar's "Elio" will be released Tuesday, Aug. 19, on digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home. The film is available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD on Sept. 9.
Cosmopolitan
44 minutes ago
- Cosmopolitan
Bella Thorne's Proposal Controversy, Explained
I did not have 'Bella Thorne proposal controversy' on my 2025 bingo card. Though given the chaotic state of the world, I probably should have. On Sunday, Aug. 17, Bella Throne shared an Instagram post showing her proposal to fiancé Mark Emms. The sweet post, captioned '3 years ago we met, 1 year later he proposed, now 1 year later so did I,' was meant to celebrate the one year anniversary of their engagement and Mark's original proposal. Instead, it quickly devolved into a debate about gender roles in the comments. 'Okay ladies, let's not normalize this, okay?' reads a top comment—it currently has 93, 847 likes. Another asks, 'If he already proposed why did you do it lol I'm confused.' More critics flocked to the comments, adding in confused emojis and GIFs, prompting debates among fans. Things got so chaotic, Bella herself addressed the discourse in a since-deleted Instagram Story. 'The comments on my post are hilarious,' she wrote, per E! News. 'Totally split down the middle. Half of you are like let's not normalize proposing to your partner—other half is like f--k yeah girl power this is the sweetest!!' While I'm glad Bella isn't letting the negativity in her comments affect her happiness, there is a dark side to the criticisms that can't be ignored. This isn't just a case of trolls hating on Bella for the fun of it, it's sexism. When people criticize Bella's decision to propose, they're implying that she shouldn't have done it because that's not her role as a woman. Her actions, then, threaten the gender binary they seem to hold so dear. This 'controversy' isn't about Bella, it's about gender roles within the patriarchy—most posters are just good at hiding it. One commenter, however, said the quiet part out loud, writing, 'Men don't need more encouragement to be more energetically feminine than they already are.' It's hard not to see these criticisms as related to growing transphobia and backlash to LGBTQ+ rights, as well as the rise of trad wife content—Nara Smith cooking videos, the Princess Treatment trend, etc.—all of which promotes traditional gender roles. Not only that, but the brazenness of these critiques—why are we posting this on former child star Bella Thorne's Instagram?—points to a growing conservative slant in American culture and media that allows people to feel comfortable spouting these views on a stranger's Instagram post. This might seem like harmless Instagram drama, but assuming these commenters are serious in their beliefs, it's actually a pretty dark indicator of where we are right now, and where we might be headed.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Jana Duggar announces she's expecting 1st child: 'Counting down the days'
Jana Duggar is pregnant with her and her husband Stephen Wissmann's first child, the couple announced on social media Aug. 18. "We are so excited, January 2026 is going to come with a little bundle of joy joining our family!" Duggar wrote on Instagram. "We're counting down the days and eagerly looking forward to this thrilling new chapter in our lives!" The 35-year-old is the eldest daughter of Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar and is known for starring in TLC's "Counting On" and "19 Kids and Counting." Duggar and Wissmann married in August 2024 after a two-month engagement. Jana Duggar, husband announce pregnancy after celebrating first anniversary A post shared by Jana Wissmann (@janamduggar) Duggar announced her pregnancy with a series of Instagram photos alongside her husband and her growing baby bump. She said her due date is in January 2026. The couple's announcement came days after they celebrated their first wedding anniversary on Aug. 16. "Love this journey with My Love! Here's to many more years to come!!" Duggar wrote on Instagram. Wissmann and Duggar met through their families more than a decade ago, they told People in 2024. They briefly dated but ultimately split before rekindling their relationship after Duggar's brother married Wissman's sister in 2022. Duggar family controversies "19 Kids and Counting" was a reality show following the Duggar family that aired on TLC from 2008 to 2015. The network canceled the show after it was revealed that Josh Duggar, the eldest Duggar child, was accused of sexually molesting five young girls, including his sisters, when he was a teen. A spinoff of the show, "Counting On," aired 11 seasons between 2015 and 2020. TLC canceled the spinoff show in 2021 after Josh Duggar was convicted on child pornography charges and sentenced to 12 years in prison. Contributing: KiMi Robinson Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at
