It's Magic Time! Harry Potter Book Tag

I know you must be surprised to see me doing a tag inspired by the boy wizard, but although I am not a fan of his, I am a BIG fan of Tânia, who tagged me. 
(FYI: This tag was created by Book Roast, the NEWTs host)

EXPECTO PATRONUM: A childhood book connected to good memories?

Any and all of the Encyclopedia Brown books. I just loved trying to solve the mysteries, and I would get other people to read them, and see who could solve it faster. Those books also inspired me to carry around a notebook for "clues" and to utilize a magnifying glass, as I tried to solve some of my own neighborhood mysteries.

EXPELLIARMUS: A book that took you by surprise?

I liked the sound of Gut Check by Eric Kester, but I never expected it to WOW me the way it did. I don't tend to read a lot of books by male authors, nor are many of my favorites narrated by male characters, but this one checked both those boxes, and was a solid hit for it. It just told a fantastic story of these two brothers, and along the way, it delivered a lot of food for thought and a lot of feels, too.

PRIOR INCANTATO: The last book you read?

As I write this post, my last completed book was The Heir and the Spare by Emily Albright. It was my weekly Book from the Backlog, and I am happy I finally gave it a go, because I really enjoyed it. I am a sucker for a royal romance and love when YA goes to college. The addition of the dead-mother-quests also added to my enjoyment and gave the story more depth.

ALOHAMORA: A book that introduced you to a genre you'd never considered before?

I don't know if I haven't considered it, but I do not read many historical fiction books. I am a self-avowed contemporary-ho, so, reading a book set in the past is sort of outside my norm, but I remember picking up my first Julie Berry book on a whim, and I enjoyed it very much. I have also been loving the Cuba series by Chantal Cleeton. Both authors did a magnificent job blending history with their stories.

RIDDIKULUS: A funny book you've read?

I love a book that can make me laugh, and I truly seek these out. The most recent book to have me audibly laughing was Have a Little Faith in Me by Sonia Hartl. This book has banter that is worthy of a Gilmore Girls episode. If that's your thing, look no further. I also thought Jeff Zentner's last book, Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee should be mentioned, because his aim was to write a funny book, and he did so, while also delivering a story with a lot of heart.

SONORUS: A book you think everyone should know about?

I read so many books I wish I heard more people talking about. There are a handful of contemporary authors, that are always dominating, but mostly, everyone seems to talk about fantasy books a lot. Again, I will talk about a recent favorite - This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura. This book hit on so many topics, and did it really well. I not only wish I heard more people talking about the book, but I wish author got more attention, because she has a lot to say, and I appreciate the stories she is telling and how she is doing it.

OBLIVIATE: A book or spoiler you would like to forget you ever read?

I am pretty good at avoiding spoilers. I remember being angry reading some trade reviews, where I feel like they revealed a big plot point, but I guess because I don't read a lot of series, this is not a big problem for me.

IMPERIO: A book you had to read for school?

I read a lot of books for school, so I guess I will go with one I actually enjoyed, which I don't see as many people throwing love at - A Separate Peace by. I think I was in 9th grade, when I read this (somewhere in the mid 80s), and most of my classmates hated this book, but there was something quietly beautiful about it, and I liked it.

CRUCIO: A book that was painful to read?

There are a lot of ways books cause me pain, but I often fall victim to the emotional impact of the books. I can ugly cry with the best of them, and even when I know it's coming, I still bust out the snot and the tears. My most recent YA ugly cry came from The Arrival of Someday by Jen Malone. Sick kid books never get easier. I pains me to read about their pain, but, this book was all sorts of wonderful, nonetheless.

AVADA KEDAVRA: A book that could kill (interpret as you will)?

Not sure where to go with this one, since I went with emotional assault on the last prompt, so maybe I will go with physically kill you, which makes me think - longest book read this year. I really didn't read much fantasy this year (which always yields my longest books), but scanning my Goodreads, it seems Girls of July by Alex Flinn came in as my biggest book at 480 pages. Yeah, I know, it's not that long, but I actually DON'T like big books.

What book you would put for any one of the above prompts
Let us know in the comments!