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Coming Soon:
~Review: The Killing Woods
~Review: The Waiting Sky
~Review: A Certain Slant of Light
~Review: Timepiece
~Review: Infinityglass


Monday, September 7, 2009

R U Kidding Me?!!! (Twilight fanatics, avert your eyes. This could get ugly.)

Defining Twilight: Vocabulary Workbook for Unlocking the SAT, ACT, GED, and SSAT
Can you resist the allure of Edward’s myriad charms—his ochre eyes and tousled hair, the cadence of his speech, his chiseled alabaster skin, and his gratuitous charm? Will you hunt surreptitiously and tolerate the ceaseless deluge in Forks to evade the sun and uphold the facade? Join Edward and Bella as you learn more than 600 vocabulary words to improve your score on the *SAT, ACT®, GED®, and SSAT® exams!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Um, am I the only one who finds this just a tad bit ridiculous. I mean come on people. I admit I somewhat enjoyed these books. Kind of a love/hate releationship really, with a touch more hate. I seem to recall thinking these books were poorly written and over used the more complicated words like 'chagrin'. I mean, what teenager uses that word, especially as much as Bella did. The vocabulary usage was done poorly and very impractically.

What is the world coming to when the only way you can get a college bound student to study vocabulary is to tie it in with Twilight? If a student is truly serious about studying for the SAT, or other exams, then why not just get a study book from College Board or something? Or better yet, ask your counseler if they have a list of vocabulary words that they can give you. And please don't give me the excuse that this 'Defining Twilight' book would be more 'fun'.

Another thing, this whole Twilight thing has seriously just gone too far. They are even re-doing the covers of bestselling classics just so Twilight fanatics will pick them up to read. Books such as Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights and Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet have been in print for centuries. I can't seem to grasp why they need Bella and Edward's name on them to make people pick them up.




Couldn't remember where I saw the Romeo and Juliet one so I couldn't post it.

The world has totally and completely lost it. Sorry but I had to get this out. I realize I'll probably get some nasty little comments for this post but hey, it is a free country and it is my blog. I'll post what I want. I don't expect you all to share my views no more then you should expect that of me.

Have a happy Labor Day! :D




18 comments:

WhatBriReads said...

I agree, I think that redoing the covers of classics is ridiculous. Honestly, I haven't read either of the two that you've posted, but adding things about Bella and Edward is NOT going to make me want to read them. In fact, it might make me want to read them even less.

As for the Defining Twilight book, I'm kind of in the middle. On one hand, I do think it's kind of interesting and possibly a more fun way to learn vocab if you're reluctant to do so. But on the other hand, I agree with the fact that it's kind of going too far.

Leslie said...

could not agree with you more! I had a fit when I found out about the classic book covers being re-done! Seriously! They are classics for a reason and will continue to be classics regardless of whether or not they have edward's name on them **rolls eyes** ugh it frustrates me to no end! Like at first the whole twilight phenomenom was kind of cool you know? I have about a dozen posters up and the books and so forth but now the only reason I have them up is because I don't have something else to replace them with! I think twilight has gotten old. lol sorry if this was long but ugh it just frustrates me

Eli said...

Is that the first time you've seen that book? LOL. Vania, Shalonda, Kelsey and I were laughing our heads off the other day when we were going through it. The words are ridiculous!

Cate said...

Things are getting out of hand...it's nauseating.

Katie said...

I agree with you but I have to say that if those classics didn't say that on them, I would buy them. The black, white, and red covers are really pretty. =]

A Passion For Books said...

I couldn't agree with you more. I had a fit for a couple of days over the classics having Bella and Edward's name on them. It doesn't make me want to read them, it makes me want to NEVER pick them up. (unless they have the old cover)

I enjoyed the books too, but they weren't the best I've read. I agree that the vocab went way to far. I'm 21 and I think I have a good vocabulary because of all the reading I do. But while reading Twilight I had to continually run to the dictionary to look up a word. It was so frustrating. There is no way teenagers talk like that. I don't know about everyone else, but Belle was kind of always on my nerves. Some of things she did or said I just couldn't picture in my mind.

This Twilight has gone to far, putting it on unneccessary things. Hopefully it will end soon, but that's propably like asking for a million dollars.

Casey

Natascha De Marco said...

Like I said to you on MSN I agree with the whole twilight thing going to far, I mean they are CLASSICS, a little respect would be nice.

But I do think that using normal YA books to get people who are reluctant to learning new words its not necessarily a bad thing, doesn't need to be Twilight or anything. I learned English mostly from reading so, this is a brilliant idea.

~The Book Pixie said...

I agree that the idea itself is good, just thought they chose a bad book to do it with. lol. :P

~Briana

Lindsay :) said...

I agree with you 150%!

~Lindsay
JABA

La Coccinelle said...

I would be leery of using a book like Twilight for vocabulary study when the author can't even get her homophones straight. I remember being rather amused by the reference to "dust moats". Motes, Stephenie... motes!

Anonymous said...

I agree with you about the new book covers. That's just a ridiculous marketing tool.

I disagree about Defining Twilight, though. I reviewed it for my blog, and it's just as good a vocab workbook as any. Plus I'll be really happy when they branch out and start defining other books.

~Tashi

Sarbear said...

I agree with you -- and it's kind of retarded if the only way you'll study vocab words is if they're in a Twilight book.

Shalonda said...

I agree with your thought on the classics. However, I actually have a copy of Defining Twilight and it is great tool. I will be reviewing it on my blog shortly. Before I checked it out, I kind of rolled my eyes because I am sick of the whole Twilight phenomenon, but this workbook is going to be useful for students of all ages.

April (BooksandWine) said...

I just scheduled a review for this book, it posts at midnight, and basically I agree with you for the most part. I think for students to do well on tests, the trick isn't in a work book, it's in reading a wide variety of books for fun and using words in every day language. It's in forming a love affair with words, not turning vocabulary into a chore.

Donna (Bites) said...

This makes me want to put my head through the wall.

Learning vocabulary from Twilight is like learning dining etiquette from Jeffrey Dahmer.

Jenni @ Falling Off The Shelf said...

I completely agree with you about all of it! I accepted the review copy of Defining Twilight..because I just couldn't get my mind around it and had to see it for myself, lol.

Sandy said...

This is depressing beyond belief! I can understand the reprinting of Wuthering Heights because that book is MENTIONED in Twilight! BUT WHY PRIDE & PREJUDICE?! That book is tainted now... I'm sure Jane Austen wants to stab someone with her quill right about now! :/

And that SAT book is really just ridiculous. I think they passed the line once Edward got his own google. jeez... will it ever end?!

Charli said...

I wholeheartedly agree. Although I have all four of the Twilight books, and my best friend adored them, I was not as impressed and in fact still have not read Eclipse all the way through.

But the Twilight fever has gone way too far - and why market those as "Bella & Edward's Favorite Book" when in Eclipse, Edward asks Bella why she's reading Wuthering Heights yet again. :/ Just stupid.

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Hello all! My name is Briana, I'm 20, and I live in the beautiful state of Georgia. I love reading and photography.

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