Oh my goodness, how cool – thanks for finding me again! (You had a different username in the Livejournal days, right? I'm trying to guess/remember who you are... and okay, I'm just going to make a guess even with the fear of being wrong: Bets?)

YES, that was totally my experience, and I think probably a lot of other people's too: almost a protectiveness, because I love Seraphina (both the book and the character) SO much, and this new book can't possibly top that and it probably shouldn't even try...and then Tess (both the book and the character) was SO AMAZING. I'm still trying to find words for just how amazing, all these months later.

Exit West! Yes! I just got both my parents to read that. :-) Can you articulate what about his writing you'd like to learn to do? I'm really curious!

Carmen Maria Machado is excellent – and bad news for other short story writers I've read since then, because I keep finding myself comparing them to her (though I know that's unfair).

This is great, I do love talking books, especially with people who have similar interests... I'm going to add you as a friend here, and you're welcome to do the same, so we can continue to talk books in the future. :-D