[He likes that she can admit that about herself— the fact that she's willing to makes him feel she must trust him, given how private she has been about most things. It's a more meaningful offering than it would appear on the surface, to some.]

We've always had that in common, it seems— a great love of books.

[That, he doubts will ever change for either of them.]

Otherwise, we've both come quite a long way. You seem to like at least some people well enough now, for which I am infinitely grateful. Imagine if we had met in our youth— academic rivals, perhaps?