About three weeks after 9/11 a friend offered a book recommendation. Not a specific book, but rather a collection of books written by multiple authors telling tales about a galaxy far, far away.
That’s right — my friend suggested I read a Star Wars book. I’ve been a fan of the movies since I was a kid and to this day I still swoon when Luke Skywalker enters Leia’s cell and says, “I’m Luke Skywalker. I’m here to rescue you.”
I hadn’t read much science fiction, my favorite types of books had always been mysteries and YA paranormal. However, I was looking for some new reads and the world felt like a really scary place the first few weeks after 9/11. As a young mom at the time, it was overwhelming. I needed an escape. Little did I know that it would be Star Wars novels that would provide that escape and then welcome me into a universe that continued to amaze and delight me page after page.
Thus began my love (and slight obsession) with Star Wars novels and the stories from the Expanded Universe. Below is just part of my Star Wars book collection.
No, I’m not going to discuss/debate the new canon and yes, I read and I did like “Aftermath” by Chuck Wendig. And yes, I’ll continue to read the new books as they’re released. End of discussion. Moving on.
I’m writing this post today because: (1) it’s May 4 and you know what that means: May the 4th Be With You day and (2) I want to encourage other readers to pick up a book from the amazing universe that is Star Wars fiction and read these really cool, fun stories.
There are so many, if you don’t like one or the style of the author, pick another. Are you a fan of tech type/space battle/action stories — check out the X-Wing Series. It’s seriously awesome and my personal favorite is book 2, “Wedge’s Gamble” by Michael A. Stackpole.
Other favorites include “I, Jedi” also by Michael A. Stackpole. This was the book that made me a serious Corran Horn fan. You can check him out here via Wookieepedia. I do recommend “Survivor’s Quest” by Timothy Zahn and both series: The Legacy of the Force and Fate of the Jedi. I’m not a huge fan of the Dark Nest trilogy but I have friends that loved those books.
I’ve delved into many of the books that take place prior to A New Hope — I’m not really into stories of the Clone Wars and the Old Galactic Republic books. I did read and own all the New Jedi Order books with the war against the Yuuzhan Vong. That series is really long, but overall I found it interesting and downright heartbreaking at times. Two very devastating deaths during that series, one which caused me to fling the book across the room. Scared the hell out of the cat.
That is why I love these books. They’ve made me feel. They made me laugh. They took me to a galaxy far, far away when the world at my door was very dark and uncertain. They were a great escape and I will be forever grateful to the writers and to a friend who said, “Hey, I really think you should check out a Star Wars book.”