Within the fantasy and fiction we can find a numberless list of creatures or beings that have lived throughout history and its myths. Some say they are real and believe to have seen them; others are just not that into them. So, this time around the OBS Staff brings you a list of some of the most recognizable “Mythical Creatures” for our A to Z edition. Enjoy!

Mythical Creatures

A: Angels
(A supernatural being found in many religions, whose duties are to assist and serve God. They typically act as messengers, as believed in the main three monotheistic religions.)

Afanc
(A lake monster from Welsh mythology. Its exact description varies; it is described alternately as resembling a crocodile, beaver or dwarf-like creature, and is sometimes said to be a demon.)

B: Bigfoot
(An alleged ape-like creature purportedly inhabiting forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid.)

Banshee
(A female spirit, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld.)

C: Cyclops
(A giant, with one single eye in the middle of his forehead.)

Centaur
(Has the head, arms, and chest of the centaur are human while the rest of its body, including four legs, hindquarters, and a tail is like that of a horse.)

Cherubs or Cherubim
(In Modern English they are strictly known as baby or toddler angels. Originally they are described as winged beings, a tetrad of living creatures, each having four faces: of a lion, an ox, an eagle, and a man. They are said to have the stature and hands of a man, the feet of a calf, and four wings.)

Chimaera
(A monstrous beast which is part lion, goat and snake.)

D: Dragons
(A legendary winged creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits.)

Demons
(Powerful supernatural beings without the dignity of gods. Ancient demons could be good or bad. Traditionally demons have been said to reign on some other planet, usually some form of hell, and are creatures of fire.)

Dwarves
(Described as shorter and stockier than Elves and Men, able to withstand both heat and cold. Though they are mortal, Dwarves have an average lifespan of 250 years.)

E: Elf
(Originally thought of as a race of divine or semi-divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind. In pre-Christian mythology, they appear to have been divided into light elves and dark elves. In early modern and modern folklore, they were known to live underground in hills or rocks, or in wells and springs.)

Erinyes
(They are crones with snakes for hair, dogs’ heads, coal-black bodies, bats’ wings, and bloodshot eyes. In their hands they carry brass-studded scourges.)

F: Fairies
(Generally described as human in appearance and having magical powers, in modern culture they are often depicted as young, sometimes winged, humanoids of small stature, they originally were depicted much differently: tall, radiant, angelic beings or short, wizened trolls.)

Fae
(Able to see the future, or touched in the head. In popular culture the fey, if recognized at all, have been reduced to small, winged, humanoid, female creatures that are frequently portrayed in the nude.)

G: Gargoyle
(In contemporary fiction, gargoyles are typically depicted as a winged humanoid creature with demonic features.)

Goblins
(A legendary evil or mischievous creature, described as a grotesquely evil or evil -like phantom, have been classified as constantly annoying little creatures, can come in any color but are mainly depicted as green or brown, and are very crabby.)

Griffins
(A legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. As the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle was the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. Griffins are normally known for guarding treasure.)

H: Hydra
(A many headed monster which terrorized visitors near the lake of Lerna in Greece. Killing the Hydraproved to be quite a challenge, as two heads would grow back whenever one was cut off.)

Harpy
(Mainly winged death-spirits, best known for constantly stealing all food from Phineas, they could also bring life.)

Hobbits
(Are between two and four feet tall, the average height being three feet six inches. They dress in bright colours, favoring yellow and green. Nowadays, they are usually very shy creatures, but are nevertheless capable of great courage and amazing feats under the proper circumstances.)

I: Itcuintlipotzotli
(Better known as the Chupacabra – strange Mexican creature the size of a small dog. It has hairless skin, a wolfish head, no neck, a short tail, and a large hump down the length of its back.)

J: Jack Frost
(Is an elfish creature who personifies crisp, cold weather. Jack is said to leave patterns in the autumn leaves and the patterns in the frost that are left on windows.)

K: Kraken
(Is an enormous sea monster in Norwegian sea folklore, which would sometimes attack ships and feed upon the sailors. It was said to be capable of dragging down the largest ships and when submerging could suck down a vessel by the whirlpool it created. It is described as part octopus and part crab, occasionally as a giant squid or cuttlefish.)

Kampe
(A monstrous centaurine creature who, from the waist up, had the body of a serpentine-haired woman. Below she had the body of a scaly dragon with a thousand vipers for feet and sprouting from her waist the heads of fifty fearsome beasts–lions, boars and other wild animals. Dark wings rose from her shoulders and above her head she lifted a furious scorpion’s tail.)

L: Loch Ness
(A cryptic that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. The most frequent speculation is that the creature represents a line of long-surviving plesiosaurs.)

Lamia
(Lamia was once the beautiful Queen of Lybia and was seduced by the great king of the Greek gods himself – Zeus. His jealous wife, Hera, reacted by killing Lamia’s children and turning her into a hateful monster – a woman above the waist and a serpent below.)

M: Medusa
(Was a monstrous chthonic female character, essentially an extension of an apotropaic mask, whose gaze could turn onlookers to stone. In other versions she was a human with blonde hair and she had no sisters. She slept with Poseidon in Athena’s temple, so Athena punished Medusa by turning her into a monster with hair made of snakes.)

Minotaur
(Was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man.)

N: Nymph
(Is any member of a large class of female nature entities, either bound to a particular location or landform or joining the retinue of a god or goddess.)

O: Orcs
(Portrayed as physically stronger or weaker than humans, but always high in numbers. They often ride wolves or wargs. They are also often depicted with pig-like faces.)

Ouroboros
(A self-eating, circular being as the first living thing in the universe—an immortal, perfectly constructed animal. The living being had no need of eyes when there was nothing remaining outside him to be seen; nor of ears when there was nothing to be heard; and there was no surrounding atmosphere to be breathed.)

P: Pegasus
(It is said Pegasus sprang from the blood of the Gorgon Medusa after Perseus beheaded her. Pegasus is described as a winged white horse. They live in the forest and live in small herds. Very rarely one pegasus will befriend a human, or elf and become his/her companion.)

Phoenix
(Is a mythical bird and associated with the Egyptian sun-god Re and the Greek Phoibos)

Pixie
(Are usually depicted as wingless, with pointed ears, and often wearing a green outfit and pointed hat. Sometimes their eyes are described as being pointed upwards at the temple ends.)

Q: Quanlier
(In Cherokee legend, a Quanlier has the head of a wolf, the torso of a man, the arms of a dog and the legs of a jackal. It feeds on human flesh and most small animals. Living in a small area there are very few, in fact there may be only one. It’s a close relation to a werewolf, only it can’t change into a human and when it’s killed it doesn’t turn into a human. It can run at speeds of up to 300 MPH.)

R: Roc
(A legendary gigantic bird from Arabian legends. These birds were so big that they could carry off elephants for food. The Roc is featured in various stories of the “Thousand and One Nights” and they have also featured in historical texts of Marco Polo on his travels.)

S: Sprite
(A broad term referring to a number of monstrous creatures. The term is generally used in reference to fairies, like the elf or dwarf, and the likes of it; but can also signify various monstrous beings, including ghosts.)

Sphinx
(Was the riddler who was part woman part lion. She killed anyone who couldn’t answer her riddles, but wouldn’t let anyone through the gates she stood in front of unless they could.)

Succubus
(Is a demon who takes the form of a woman to seduce men in dreams to have sexual intercourse.)

Selkie
(Are able to transform to human form by shedding their seal skins and can revert to seal form by putting their selkie skin back on. When in human form, both sex are described as handsome and seductive. Male selkies typically seek those who are dissatisfied with their romantic life. This includes married women waiting for their fishermen husbands.)

Satyr
(Are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus.)

Skin Walker
(In some Native American legends, a skin-walker is a person with the supernatural ability to turn into any animal he or she desires)

T: Troll
(Is a fearsome member of a mythical anthropomorph race from Scandinavia. Their role ranges from fiendish giants – similar to the ogres of England – to a devious, dwarf-like folk of the wilderness, living underground in hills, caves or mounds.

U: Unicorn
(A legendary creature usually depicted with the body of a horse, but with a single – usually spiral – horn growing out of its forehead. The unicorn’s blood and horn supposedly have mystical healing properties. A unicorn’s horn also is known as the “bane of evil” in that it has the ability to dispel anything malignant in water and can also kill most truly evil creatures it comes in to contact with.)

V: Vampires
(A preternatural being, commonly believed to be a reanimated corpse, that is said to suck the blood of sleeping persons at night. Or according to Eastern European folklore, a corpse, animated by an undeparted soul or demon, that periodically leaves the grave and disturbs the living, until it is exhumed and impaled or burned. Or  alternatively a person who has made a pact with the devil, selling his soul to him in exchange for nearly eternal life as long as the person sucks the blood from other people.)

W: Werewolves
(Love to eat babies and corpses. Only silver bullets or arrows can kill a werewolf. After death, a werewolf resumes his human identity.)

X: Xelhua
(Always female, she is a fairy nymph of extraordinary beauty believed to live in fountains, rivers, waterfalls or forested regions with pure water.)

Xing Tian
(Meaning “punished one” or “he who was punished by heaven” is a Pre-Qin Dynasty mythological headless giant.)

Y: Yale
(The Yale is a four legged beast from Ethiopia and India, its colour is a tawny brown or black. It is about the size of a horse; it looks much like a deer but has the lower jaws of a boar with its tusks. The Yale has movable horns that it can control.)

Yeti
(A hybrid of man and ape, standing well over two meters tall and having a fur of a dark brown to black color. Or to some they’re described as smaller than an average man with a reddish-brown pelt.)

Z: Zombies
(The living dead – reanimated corpses brought back to serve a sorcerer. Once given salt, they realize what’s happening, and return to their grave. Once the touch they dirt of their grave, they go back to being dead.)

Join us on the Forum and give us your opinions on our A-Z list of today and be sure to check back next month for more OBS A to Z editions!

It’s that time again and OBS is bringing you the A to Z of the first book of the Percy Jackson series “The Lightning Thief”, in honor of OBS Book Club of the month. We’ve put up a list of things that will guide you through the book and might even prepare you for the movie. Enjoy!

Be sure to also check out Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief book club to discuss its chapters, questions and any opinions that you have.

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school…again. And that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’s stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

A: Annabeth Chase
(She is a demi-god, her father is the mortal Frederick Chase while her mother is the Greek goddess Athena. She ran away from home when she was seven.)

Athena
(Goddess of Wisdom and Battle, and she is also the disciplined side of war. She has many demigod children, one of the most well-known being Annabeth Chase.)

B: Bolt of Lightning
(Zeus’ Main Weapon and reason for the title of the book.)

C: Chiron
(The centaur who dwells at Camp Half-Blood as the immortal teacher to demigods.)

Clarisse La Rue
(Clarisse La Rue is one of the children of Ares. She is hot-tempered, arrogant, big, tall, and strong..)

D: Demi-gods
(Half-bloods, sons or daughters of the Olympians or a minor god and a mortal parent.)

Dionysus
(Dionysus is the god of wine, and the son of Semele and Zeus. He is also known as Mr. D, the Camp Half-Blood camp director.)

E: Empire State Building
(Olympus, home of the gods, is hidden on the 600th floor.)

F: Furies
(The Furies are female deities of vengeance. They represent regeneration and the potency of creation, which both consumes and empowers. They are referred to as ‘Kindly Ones’.)

Fates
(The Fates foretell the death of a person and are only seen when you are soon to die, Percy and Grover see them on the way home from Yancy Academy.)

G: Grover Underwood
(He is a satyr and Percy’s best friend. He was undercover as a boy in search of potential demi-gods and the one to recognize Percy for who he was.)

H: Hades
(Hades is the god of the Underworld and wealth, son of the Titans Kronos and Rhea and the husband of Persephone.)

I: Iris
(Iris is the Goddess of the Rainbow. She carries messages for gods, goddess, and if you ask nicely and she’s not too busy, demigods.)

J: Javelin
(The kids train with these at Half-Blood Camp.)

K: Kronos
(Kronos is an evil Titan and the main antagonist of the series. His name literally means “Time” in Ancient Greek, and he is the Titan Lord of Time.)

L: Lotus Hotel & Casino
(Percy, Annabeth, and Grover went in there on their first quest in The Lightning Thief.)

Luke Castellan
(Luke Castellan is a son of Hermes and May Castellan.)

M: Medusa
(Gorgon who posing as a human, Medusa lures people into “Aunty Em’s Gnome Emporium” and then turns them into statues by looking at them.)

Minotaur
(Evil creature Percy must defeat in order to get to Half-Blood Camp. He is also responsible for Sally Jackson’s ‘death’.)

N: Nancy Bobofit
(She is the bully at Yancy Academy and described as a kleptomaniac with curly red hair. Percy hated her because she was always teasing Grover and himself.)

O: Olympus
(Olympus is the traditional home of the Olympian Gods. It was originally located on Mount Olympus, but, as Chiron explains, it has steadily moved west, following “Western Civilization” over the centuries and is now in the United States.)

P: Percy Jackson
(The main protagonist of the Percy Jackson series (duh), he is the son of Greek god Poseidon and Sally Jackson. He has the ability to control water and breathe under it.)

Poseidon
(Poseidon, also known as Earthshaker, Stormbringer, and the Father of Horses, is the god of the sea, earthquakes, and the creator of horses.)

Q: Quest
(Percy, Annabeth and Grover head on a Quest to avoid a war between the gods.)

R: Rick Riordan
(Author of the series, so give the man some love.)

Riptide
(Percy’s sword which was given to him by Chiron, it is disguised as a pen normally.)

S: Satyr
(A Satyr is explained as men with hairy goat legs and hooves, goat horns, and pointed ears that may look like those of a goat’s. Grover is one of these.)

Sally Jackson
(Percy’s mother, she does everything she can to keep Percy close despite the danger it puts him in… her fatal flaw.)

T: Thalia Grace
(Thalia Grace is a demigod, a daughter of Zeus and a human with the surname Grace. She was a friend of Annabeth Chase and Luke Castellan.)

U: Underworld
(Where the dead go and Hades domain.)

V: Vegetarian
(Grover is considered a veggie eater, awww how cute.)

W: Western Civilization
(Mt. Olympus has follows this over the centuries and now finds itself in New York.)

X: Xystarch
(Ancient Greek officer in charge of gymnastic exercise.)

Y: Yancy Academy
(Private boarding school that Percy Jackson attended in sixth grade, but was eventually kick out of, like all his other ones.)

Z: Zeus
(Zeus is the god of lightning, the sky, and ruler of Olympus and the gods. He is the last son of Kronos and Rhea.)

Have you read the Percy Jackson series?
What do you like about it?

Join us on the discussion.

Check back by the end of the month for more A to Z editions and remember that Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief movie comes out this Friday, we’ll be waiting for your reviews!

OBS has a special A to Z edition dedicated to the most anticipated TV series Lost. We have put together a list of things that will guide and prepare the new fans and will refresh the minds of the already ones for the final season.

LOST

A plane crash strands the surviving passengers of Oceanic Flight 815 on a seemingly deserted tropical island, forcing the group of strangers to work together to stay alive. Their survival is threatened by mysterious entities including polar bears, an unseen creature that roams the jungle, and the island’s malevolent inhabitants known as the “Others”. On a trip to the jungle the survivors come across a distress call sent by a French woman that has been playing over and over for approximately sixteen years.

A: Ana Lucia Cortez
(A survivor of the Oceanic 815  crash.  She was a member of the LAPD.)

Alexandra Rousseau
(Daughter of Danielle Rousseau who was taken by Benjamin Linus as an infant.  Alex was killed by one of Charles Widmore’s mercenaries.)

B: Boone Carlyle
(Brother to Shannon. Boone died in the first season trying to help Locke.)

Benjamin Linus
(Leader of the Others. At the end of season 4, he leaves the island after “moving” it.)

C: Claire Littleton
(Pregnant when they crash, she later has Aaron.)

Charlie Pace
(Drug addict, one-hit wonder ex rock star. He drowns in the Looking Glass station, trying to help the survivors.)

Charles Widmore
(Mysterious man who is trying to find the island.)

D: Dharma Initiative
(The Scientific institution holding experiments via stations scattered throughout the island.)

Daniel Faraday
(Physicist who has studied time travel.)

Desmond Hume
(Crashed on the island in a boat while traveling around the world.)

Drive Shaft
(The band that Charlie belonged to.)

Danielle Rousseau
(A French woman who is the sole survivor of her expedition and has been on the island for 16 years when Oceanic 815 crashes.  She is the mother of Alex, who was taken by Benjamin Linus when she was just an infant.)

E: Ethan Rom
(The mysterious Other, child of Amy and Horace Goodspeed.)

Eko a.k.a. “Mr. Eko”
(A Nigerian Catholic priest and former criminal.)

Eloise Hawking
(Daniel Faraday’s mother, who used to live in the island.  She now runs the Dharma station known as The Lamp Post.)

F: Freckles
(Sawyer’s nickname for Kate.)

Flash Forwards
(Jumping ahead in time to see where the characters are and what they’re up to.)

Frank Lapidus
(The helicopter pilot of the research team sent to the island.  He was supposed to pilot the ill-fated Oceanic flight 815, but circumstances kept him from flying that day.)

G: Geographically Challenged
(The island’s coordinates are not set. To make matters worse, when the hatch blew up, the island started skipping in time.)

Goodwin
(Juliet’s lover before the plane crashes.  Because Ben was also in love with Juliet, he sent Goodwin to infiltrate the survivors.  He is killed by Ana Lucia.)

H: Hatch
(Where Desmond was found. Micro Computer system located in the hatch, in which a button had to be pressed every 108 minutes.)

Hugo “Hurley” Reyes
(One of the Oceanic Six survivors, who believes that “the numbers” are bad luck.  He won the lottery with the “the numbers” prior to crashing on the island.)

Hanso Foundation
(Formed by arms purveyor Alvar Hanso, who turned his attention from “keeping the world safe through the development of sophisticated weapons systems” to focus instead on the development of new technologies to “create a brighter future for all humanity.  The Hanso Foundation, through its funding of the Dharma Initiative, was involved in the construction of facilities on the island.)

I: Island
(The infamous Island where Oceanic Flight 815 crashed.)

Ilana
(A woman who claimed to be a bounty hunter and put Sayid on Ajira Flight 316 to take him back to the island.  She appears to have been working for Jacob for unknown reasons.)

J: Jack Shepard
(The doctor, part of Kate & Sawyer’s love triangle. One of the Oceanic Six survivors.)

Jin-Soo Kwon
(Married to Sun and work for her father as a mob enforcer. At first he didn’t knew English but eventually learns to communicate.)

Juliet Burke
(Fertility doctor and one of The Others. She helps escape and joins the Oceanic 815 crash survivors.)

Jacob
(The mysterious leader of The Others on the island.)

K: Kate Austen
(A fugitive headed to jail when the plane crashes, also one of the Oceanic six survivors.)

L: “Locke” John Locke.
(Once in a wheelchair paralyzed, now on the island can walk. Has assumed a semi-leadership position over the Losties. Instructs them all to return to the island.)

Libby
(A tail section survivor who was a patient at the mental hospital at the same time that Hurley was there.  She was killed by Michael when she witnessed Ana Lucia’s murder.)

M: Miles
(One of the researchers who is like a ghost whisperer. Miles arrives on the island and is eventually taken captive by John Locke who suspects that those on the freighter are there to harm his fellow crash survivors and expose the island to the general public.)

Michael Dawson
(Walt’s father.  He killed Libby and Ana Lucia to carry out a deal that he made with The Others so that he and Walt could go home.)

N: Numbers
(The commonly recurring numbers that had to be entered on the computer in the hatch that also match Hurley’s winning lottery ticket).

Naomi Dorrit
(Was a mercenary assigned to protect the freighter’s science team. She arrived on the Island by parachute. She landed in a tree in the jungle, was cut down by Desmond and Charlie and was found to have a punctured lung that was treated by Mikhail.)

O: Oceanic Flight 815
(The flight that crashes.)

Oceanic 6
(Jack, Kate, Hurley, Ben, Locke, Sun were the only people to return back from the Island.)

Others
(Native people on the Island.)

P: Polar Bears
(Used in Dharma Initiative experiments and The Polar Bear Cave was where Eko was taken after he was imploded from the hatch. He was brought here by the polar bear, and was eventually rescued by Locke.)

Penelope Widmore
(Father is Charles Widmore, one of the original people to come to the island with the Dharma Initiative, also is Desmond’s fiance.)

Q: Questions
(Every episode leaves us with more and more questions.)

R: Rousseau
(The French woman who has been on the island for 16 years and meets the “Losties” by first encountering Sayid, who she hold captive.)

Richard Alpert
(Adviser to the leader of the Others who is seemingly ageless. He recruited Juliet to the Others.)

Research Stations
(The Arrow, The Swan, The Flame, The Pearl, The Orchid, The Hydra, The Staff, The Looking Glass, The Tempest, The Lamp Post.)

Radio Signal
(In French, it’s on a loop and plays over and over again.)

S: Sawyer a.k.a James Ford
(Caught in love triangle between Jack and Kate. Later ends up with Juliet.)

Smoke Monster
(It’s black and scary and it can kick your a**…)

Sun-Hwa Kwon
(Married to Jin. Daughter of a rich man with ties to the Korean mob, one of the Oceanic Six survivors.)

Sayid
(A hired killer, trained fighter, ex Iraqi guard. One of the Oceanic Six survivors.)

Shannon
(A ballet instructor and Boone’s step-sister.  She had a relationship with Sayid and was accidentally shot by Ana Lucia.)

Strawberry
(Didn’t Sawyer call Kate that?)

T: Tawaret (statue)
(A giant statue of Egyptian goddess Taweret existed on the Island since at least the 1800s. Jacob lived under the statue for an unknown amount of time, even after its partial demolition sometime before 1974. By 2004, only the left calf and foot remained, with its distinctive four toes. The statue is within view of the site of the Orchid.)

Traps
(There are many traps on the island.)

Time Travel
(What the survivors are subjected to when Locke turns the wheel to move the island.)

U: Underground
(Where the ‘Hatch’ is located.)

Ultrasound
(Juliet performs one on Sun to determine how far along her pregnancy is and to determine whether the father is Jin or the man with whom she had an affair.)

V: Valenzetti Equation
(The mathematical equation developed by the reclusive Princeton University mathematician Enzo Valenzetti.  The Valenzetti Equation “predicts the exact number of years and months until humanity extinguishes itself.”)

Via Domus
(First video game for the series.)

Vincent
(Walt’s dog  Vincent is seen by Jack, wandering free in the forest just after the plane crash. He is very much key at times in helping the Losties find things on the island.)

W: Walt Llyod
(Son of Michael. Was taken by The Others. Walt has some sort of talent for making things happen.)

X: X-Rays
(Jack looked at Ben Linus’s x-rays before performing back surgery.)

Y: Yearn
(The survivors of flight Oceanic 815 yearn to get home.)

Z: Zach Carson
(Character that has appeared in the series of LOST Novels but had not been mentioned in the television show.)

Join us on the Forum and give us your opinions on our A-Z list of today and be sure to check back tomorrow for more OBS Lost Features!

In honor of OBS YA Book Club of the month, this week we give you the “A-Z: Beautiful Creatures” edition. A list of things that will hopefully guide you through every chapter of this exciting book.

Remember to check the Beautiful Creatures Book Club and discuss its chapters, questions and any opinions that you have.

Beautiful Creatures

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that’s what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

A: Amma
(Wate’s family housekeeper, cook, and Ethan’s caregiver.)

B: Books
(Books are extremely important to Ethan and Lena and they both love to read.)

C: Civil War
(The Civil War plays a big part in Beautiful Creatures.)

D: Delphine
(Ridley’s mother and Lena’s aunt.)

E: Ethan Lawson Wate
(The main protagonist of our tale.)

F: Fire
(When the Union soldiers came through Gatlin in 1865 they burned the whole town down)

G: Gatlin, South Carolina
(Where our story takes place.)

H: High Holidays aka The Gathering
(Ethan is invited by Ridley to join the celebration.)

I: Illusionist
(Larking is an Illusionist.)

K: Kiss
(Lena and Ethan share their first kiss in her bedroom.)

L: Lemons and Rosemary
(Lena, the girl of Ethan’s dreams, smells like this due to her sitting in the lemon tree garden outside Greenbrier.)

M: Macon Melchizedek Ravenwood
(The town recluse who lives at Ravenwood Manor.)

N: Necklace
(Lena has a charm necklace with a raven, an orange soda tab, and a black bead from her Aunt Twyla.)

O: Orphan
(Believing both her parents dead, Lena is considered an orphan by Mrs. Lincoln and others.)

P: Palimpsest
(Lena’s Aunt Del is a Palimpsest. She is able to see past, present and future all at once.)

Q: Quiet
(Lena doesn’t talk to anyone and when she talks to Ethan a lot of it is in their heads.)

R: Ridley
(Siren with the gift of persuasion, she tries to break Lena and Ethan apart.)

S: Sixteen Moons
(The song that keeps playing on Ethan’s Ipod. He doesn’t recall ever having put it on there.)

T: Troth of Secret Engagement
(Ethan Carter Wate gave it to Genevieve as a symbol of his love.)

U: Uncle Barclay
(Shifter who can change an object into another object.)

V: Victory
(When Lena attends one of Ethan’s basketball games, he makes every show. Is it magic?)

W: War of Northern Aggression
(Because it was the north who started it all, right?)

Y: Year
(1865 was the year that Gatlin was burned down to the ground, all except the Ravenwood Manor.)

Z: Zero Tolerance
(The women of the DAR don’t care who you are. If you weren’t born in Gatlin, you don’t belong in Gatlin.)

Our next OBS A-Z, will have a special Edition dedicated to Lost Final Season. So be sure to check back on Sunday for more! Later OBS readers.

For our second A-Z feature, OBS brings you The Time Traveler’s Wife edition. As you all know this month’s book club is The Time Traveler’s Wife and to celebrate we have put together a list from A to Z of all things TTW.

Thanks to OBS founder Dawn and OBS staff member Rose

Remember also to check our Time Traveler’s Wife Book Club discussions!

The Time Traveler’s Wife

When 20-year-old Clare meets 28-year-old Henry at the Newberry Library in 1991 in the first pages of the novel, he has never seen her before, although she has known him most of her life. The love story devolpes around Henry DeTamble, a librarian at the Newberry Library in Chicago, and his wife, Clare Abshire , an artist who makes paper sculptures and has  to cope with his frequent absences and dangerous experiences.

Henry starts to travel to Clare’s childhood and adolescence in South Haven, Michigan, beginning in 1977 when she is six years old. On one of his early visits, Henry gives her a list of the dates he will appear and she writes them in a diary so she will remember to provide him with clothes and food when he arrives. With time, they both meet again in “a present normal time”, handling both the consequence of their love.

From novelist and artist Audrey Niffenegger, comes the British Book Award for Popular Fiction winner, The Time Traveler’s Wife.

A: Audrey Niffenegger
(What an amazing author. I cannot fathom how she kept it all straight while writing the book.)

B: Baby
(Much of the story is about how badly Clare wants a baby. She miscarries a number of babies.)

Beau Thai
(Clare and Henry’s favorite restaurant. They had their first date here.)

C: Clare Abshire
(Her love for Henry is instantaneous from the moment she meets him as a young girl. And she never wavers from that love no matter what the obstacle.)

Charisse
(Clare’s best friend, just keep the bamboo stick away from her hands.)

Chrono-Impairment
(The name of Henry’s disorder, yes that is a mouth full.)

D: Dr. David Kendrick
(A specialist in molecular genetics. He and Henry figure out why Henry time travels as well as help him try and figure other life events out.)

E: Etta
(The Abshire family housekeeper and cook)

F: Field Museum of Natural History
(One of Henry’s favorite memories from childhood. He visited the museum with his parents and the first time he time travel’s it is here.)

G: Genetic
(Henry’s time traveling is genetic and Clare and Henry’s daughter can time travel too.)

Gomez
(Charisse’s boyfriend and later her husband. He and Henry become good friends, despite their dislike at first.)

H:Henry DeTamble
(The time traveler, who ends up naked wherever he travels. Wow that must be breezy.)

I: Ingrid
(Henry’s girlfriend when he and Clare meet. Ingrid tries to commit suicide numerous times.)

J: John Lennon
(Henry’s favorite Beatle, but of course.)

K: Kelmskott Press Chaucer
(The paper Clare is writing when she first “officially” meets Henry as an adult. Clare is in the library researching the paper when she stumbles across Henry.)

L: Library
(Henry often disappears and reappears here, after all it is his favorite place in the world. Nothing says time travel like musty old books.)

Loneliness
(Clare feels lonely most of the time as Henry comes and goes without warning.)

M: Meadow
(The Meadow near Clare’s childhood home. This is where Clare first meets Henry  and he goes back often throughout her childhood.)

Meadowlark House
(Clare’s childhood home, built as a gift for Mary Henderson and Dieter Bascombe.)

Mrs. Kim
(The neighbor downstairs who helps care for Henry after his mother dies.)

N: Nell
(Abshire family cook. Clare often smuggles Henry food made by Nell.)

O: Ouija Board
(As a young child, Clare and her friends use the board during a sleep over. It tells Clare she will marry a man named Henry. Coincidence?)

P: Peanut Butter and Anchovy Sandwich
(Something Clare brings Henry to eat when he shows up naked and hungry from time traveling. She’s so evil when it comes to making him food.)

Pick-pocket
(Henry becomes very good at picking pockets when he time travels. After all how are you gonna buy things when you travel stark naked?)

Q: Queasy
(When Henry times travels he feels sick to his stomach and then he vomits. Cause being naked isn’t enough to make you hate time travel.)

R: Richard DeTamble
(Henry’s father and a violinist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Richard’s never the same after his wife dies. Luckily, through time travel, Henry is allowed to see how much his parents loved one another.)

S: Shoes
(Clare made sure to leave clothes and shoes for Henry to wear if/when he time traveled to her. What a nice girl.)

Sunday Times
(The paper Henry reads each weekend and sometimes disappears mid article. That would really suck… how does he get news.)

T: Thank You
(Clare expresses her appreciation to Henry – when he returns from time traveling – for defending her from Jason, who wanted to have sex withClare ultimately hurting her badly when she said no. Clare has a scar from where Jason burnt her with a cigarette. But when Henry finds out, he makes Jason VERY sorry.)

U: Understanding
(Clare is very understanding of Henry’s time travel no matter how inconvenient the timing. Now that’s true love.)

V: Violent Femmes at the Aragon
(A club performance that Henry and Clare attend. Ingrid is there and she and her friend Celia try to warn Clare about Henry, to no avail.)

W: Wedding
(Clare worries Henry will time travel during their wedding and, of course, he does. An older version replaces him.)

X: X Marks the Spot
(… where Clare and Henry meet when he time travels, which is helped by notes that Henry gave to Clare. After all when is she suppose to know when to come?)

Y: Young
(For the younger versions of Henry and Clare. They meet when Clare is very young and Henry frequently has to remind himself of her age. Naughty Henry.)

Z: Zapping Through Time
(Henry is always on the go – I have no idea how he knows whether he’s coming, going or staying.)

Be sure to check back at the end of the month for a A-Z on other YA book club, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES.

A-Z is a new article that OBS will be posting twice a month; all your favorite books and movies with terms from A-Z.

What better way to celebrate our Sookie Stackhouse book club then bringing you True Blood: Season 1

True Blood: Season 1

Vampires have come “out of the coffin” and are now living amoung us. Surviving on synthetic blood, they no longer need human blood to survive. Or so it seems…

The small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana boasts a wide array of colorful locals. Meet Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), a sweet and innocent waitress who hides her powerful ability to read minds; Bill Chomption (Stephen Moyer), a 173-year-old vampire who’s just moved back to town; Sookie’s brother Jason, a ladies’ man who can’t seem to stay out of trouble; tough-as-nails Tara, Sookie’s loyal best friend; Sam, the owner of Merlotte’s who tries to keep his feelings for Sookie to himself; Lafayette, a man about town who’s always cooking up something illicit and “off the menu” and a quirky cast of characters who each hide their dark secrets in the shadows of night in this series that’s like no other.

From Allan Ball, writer of Oscar-winning Best Picture American Beauty and creator of the Emmy Award-winning HBO series Six Feet Under, comes the critically acclaimed world of True Blood.

A: Anna Paquin
(Actress who plays Sookie Stackhouse – 25 year-old telepathic waitress and main protagonist of the series)

B: Bon Temps
(The fictional town in Louisiana where Sookie & friends live)

C: Carrie Preston
(Actress who plays Arlene Fowler – Co-worker of Sookie’s and mother of Coby and Lisa, she gets engaged to Rene Lenier during Season 1)

D: Descendants of the Glorious Dead
(The club that idolizes the members of the Civil War, Adele Stackhouse invites Bill Chompton to speak at one of their meetings)

E: Exorcism
(Tara’s mother, Lettie Mae, gets one of these when she thinks a demon is causing her alcohol addiction)

F: Fangtasia
(The vampire bar in Shreveport, owned and run by Eric Northam a vicious businessman and vampire)

G: Great Revelation
(Political term used by the vampires for when they came out in society due to synthetic bloods creation)

H: Hepatitis D
(The blood infection that Jerry had, which only affects vampires. Sookie warns Bill just before he drinks from Jerry and the other vampires are shocked at the information)

J: Jace Everett
(Singer of the title sequence song “Bad Things”, which we hear every week)

K: Kristen Bauer
(Actress who plays Pam – Vampire progeny to Eric and Fangtasia’s bouncer)

L: Lizzy Caplan
(Actress who plays Amy Burley – Jason’s bohemian, V-addicted love interest who is killed by Drew Marshall)

M: Merlotte’s Bar & Grill
(Bar owned by Sam Merlotte and the place where everyone spends their time, spreads rumors and where Sookie works)

N: Nelsan Ellis
(Actor who plays Lafayette Reynolds – Flamboyant cousin of Tara’s and Merlotte’s cook)

O: ‘Out of the Coffin’
(Other term used for the Great Revelation and the fact they now roam amongst human in the open)

P: Priapism
(The condition Jason gets when he downs a bottle of V blood, it couldn’t have felt good)

Q: Quiet
(All vampires are fast and quiet and can easily sneak up on people, this annoys Sookie when Bill startles her multiple times)

R: Ryan Kwanten
(Actor who plays Jason Stackhouse – Sookie’s slow-witted brother and the male harlot of Bon Temps)

S: Stephen Moyer
(Actor who plays Bill Chompton – The 173-year-old vampire that Sookie ends up dating, also a main protagonist of the series)

T: Telepathic
(The ability that Sookie has which enables her to hear others thoughts, but also hinders her from having a normal life)

U: Underground
(Sam and Sookie bury Bill underground after he burns from the sun) and nearly dies)

V: V-juice
(The drug of choice now, made from vampire blood, that is available on the black market and sold by Lafayette)

W: Wake
(When Adele is killed Sookie holds a wake, which is interruped by Jason hitting Sookie, whom accuses her)

X: Xenophobia
(Dislike and/or fear of that which is unknown or different from oneself; a lot of the townsfolk of Bon Temps exhibit this toward vampires)

Y: Y’all
(What southern town doesn’t use this common expression)

Z: Zest
(Liveliness or Energy; Sookie has this everytime she’s around Bill)

Check back often because we’ll have even more for you coming up before the end of December.