Nation

I liked it; the only reason I wouldn't rate it higher is because the characters end up feeling a little slight without having the advantage of being revisited across multiple books, as with the Discworld characters. I think it'd be impossible for Terry Pratchett to write a bad book; it's just that some have more impact than others He seems to write insightful or eloquent passages even when he's not trying every hard.

One thing I live about Nation in particular is how Pratchett is able to make perfectly clear his reverence for science, without feeling the need to dismiss spirituality. It's rare to find a writer who's so forceful a proponent of rational thought but also approaches faith and belief as having personal value. I wish that we were all able to be so focused on finding a common ground and being positive – unafraid to call out arrogance, social climbing, manipulation, and just plain evil; but not so quick to label anyone who just doesn't have the same beliefs as us as being against us.