11) Nation, by Terry Pratchett
A lot of people have been raving about this, and why it is the best Pratchett book for ages. It is set in a mildly alternate universe, in what might or might not be the South Pacific (the mutiny on the Bounty and Moby Dick are referenced); in Pratchett’s characteristic liberal humanist way, religion and good behaviour are explored, in a coming-of-age tale for his two teenage protagonists. Lots of gently witty one-liners, but the one that will linger with me longest is the observation that “the perfect world is a journey, not a place“. Awfully good.
I find the notion that new Labour was left of centre highly dubious. I would characterise them as whiggish, which for Blair’s time in office at least was true of all three English parties. There hasn’t been a significant left of centre party in England since the ’80s, (though one could certainly make a case for the SNP and PC and maybe Scottish Labour). In fact one could make a good argument that the Liberal Democrats were nearer to the centre than Labour during that era, though clearly they have also effectively moved further to the right in government.