Well, I can't really say anything regarding post-RoTJ novels as I haven't really explored that era of EU novels. However, the Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn seems to be popular.

I will say that the Darth Bane trilogy by Drew Karpshyn is my favourite series of Star Wars novels. They are set before the movies but after SWTOR (1000 years prior to the movies, I believe?).

The Republic Commando novels by Karen Traviss are also rather good.

I'll say that the worst novel I have ever read (Undoubtedly) is "Star Wars : Death Troopers". It's ... just awful. Presumably, the sequal "Red Harvest" will be equally dreadful.

Edit : I also forgot the new "Revan" and "Decieved" novels by Drew Karpshyn and Paul Kemp, respectively. They tie into SWTOR and are decent reads. However, many people do not like the ending of "Revan".

As was already mentioned a few times in here, definitely check out the Zahn Trilogy. Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command. A fine read, perhaps the best of what the SW EU has to offer.

^^hm above poster beat me to it

As mentioned, the Thrawn trilogy and the Darth Bane trilogy are really good.

May also want to give the Rogue Squadron series a look.

I agree with the above: Zahn/Thrawn trilogy, Han Solo trilogy, Rogue Squadron series.

I also found the Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy to be entertaining - Boba Fett's the "hero".

And if you read the Jedi Academy Trilogy - "I Jedi" puts an interesting spin on those events.

Are there any good books out there that you would recommend? Is there an order I should read things? I'm willing to read anything if it's quality work but I am more interested in the original three movies and anything that follows.

I believe in the newer releases of Star Wars EU novels, if you look in the front or back few pages of the book, you will find a listing that places each novel and movie and where it's placed in the timeline. I can't say for certain, but I would think that Wookieepedia would have a similar entry on that site.

I believe in the newer releases of Star Wars EU novels, if you look in the front or back few pages of the book, you will find a listing that places each novel and movie and where it's placed in the timeline. I can't say for certain, but I would think that Wookieepedia would have a similar entry on that site.

On both points you are correct.

Depending on when the book was published/printed you will get a timeline in the first few pages. And Wookieepedia does have a chronology, http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Timeline_of_books

That being said, like watching the movies in the order they were released, the Zahn trilogy should be the first thing you read.

Old Republic Era

* The Old Republic: Revan

* The Old Republic: Deceived

Rise of the Empire Era

* Rogue Planet (if you plan to read The New Jedi Order; I don't recall liking this book all that much back when it was released)

* Republic Commando series (you better like Mandalorians, though - also, Imperial Commando 501st is the last novel featuring these characters)

* Shatterpoint

* Labyrinth of Evil

* Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader

* The Han Solo Trilogy

* The Adventures of Lando Calrissian

* The Han Solo Adventures (Brian Daley's works, which I recall as being fun as hell, though I haven't read them since my early teens - there's also, if I recall correctly, a point in A.C. Crispin's Han Solo Trilogy where its story takes a sort of "break" where one could then easily read these books)

Rebellion Era

* Splinter of the Mind's Eye (the first non-novelization SW novel; originally intended as the basis for a low-budget Star Wars)

* Shadows of the Empire (takes place between The Empire Strikes Back & Return of the Jedi)

New Republic Era

* X-Wing series (keeping in mind that the last two books - Isard's Revenge and Starfighters of Adumar - take place following books outside this series)

* The Courtship of Princess Leia (I don't recall much about the quality of this one, but it is pretty important as far as the future of the EU goes from this point on)

* The Thrawn Trilogy (pretty much a must - the first post-ROTJ novels published, though some time has passed since ROTJ)

* The Jedi Academy Trilogy (not great stuff, but pretty important for the establishment of Luke's new Jedi Order)

* I, Jedi (just fantastic, and a great companion piece to both the X-Wing series and the Jedi Academy Trilogy)

* Darksaber (again, no recollection on quality, but some important characterizations here for later works - at one point, I had a copy signed by Kevin J. Anderson but no clue where it's at these days)

* The Corellian Trilogy (I do recall enjoy these books, and some events here are important in later books as well)

* The Hand of Thrawn Duology (more Zahn work, based on his earlier Thrawn Trilogy - good stuff, as I recall, plus important in later books)

* Young Jedi Knights series (surprisingly good for YA books, though I've only read the first six; also, they introduce and flesh out many characters who are important in the NJO and beyond)

New Jedi Order Era

* The New Jedi Order series (some of it is average, some is good / very good, some is great; my favorite SW novel period - Traitor - is in this series)

* The Dark Nest Trilogy (I enjoyed it well enough, plus some events are very important in LOTF)

Legacy Era

* Legacy of the Force (I enjoyed most of it, but I do agree with some criticisms that I've seen that parts of it feel as if the series was too long, too drawn out)

* Crosscurrent (pretty fun; worth noting that it focuses on a Jedi introduced in the Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy video game, and features none of the original and/or other popular EU characters)

* Millennium Falcon (pretty fun, plus worth it to spend some time "alone" with Han & Leia following the tragic events in LOTF)

* Fate of the Jedi (read the eight published so far, and mostly enjoying it; worth noting that one might want to consider reading the "Lost Tribe of the Sith" eBooks either prior to or in conjunction with this, as they spell out some of the history of the Sith in this series)

If I haven't mentioned a post-ROTJ book above, then odds are it wasn't worth reading (if published back in the Bantam days) or it was published after I wasn't reading SW novels quite as voraciously as I once did (i.e., some of Zahn's newer stuff, Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor, etc.). As for books set during the Clone Wars, I haven't read most of those; same with the Old Republic Era.

For some examples of those that I consider not worth reading: Children of the Jedi; Planet of Twilight; The Crystal Star; The Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy; and The New Rebellion. Unfortunately, there is a rather important mention during the FOTJ series of one character who is in a few of those books, but one would probably be okay to still skip those. Of course, she also appears in Darksaber, so it could be odd to have her show up in that one without the context of her first appearance and the ones after Darksaber.

For comic recommendations (out of the many comics series that have been published, I have unfortunately read very few, so I'm not going to bother separating these into eras):

* Tales of the Jedi (nicely collected in two Dark Horse Omnibus editions)

* X-Wing Rogue Squadron (chronologically take place prior to the X-Wing novels, and introduce some characters important in those novels - collected in three DH Omnibus editions)

* Dark Empire Trilogy (Dark Empire, Dark Empire II, Empire's End)

* Legacy (great stuff, 140 years or so after A New Hope)

If your looking post original trilogy I would start with the Thrawn trilogy. Now if you are dedicated you can hit the New Jedi Order series....I made it through, but it was tough towards the end. It is made up of 19 books, but could have been done in 10. I know someone mentioned Traitor, I think it is book 9 or 10, and it is the highlight of the series.

Legacy of the Force is a nine book series that takes place after New Jedi Order. I really liked this series even though many did not. I thought it was much better than New Jedi Order. Following this series is the current nine book Fate of the Jedi series. I read the first few but was really let down....

If you want to read a few books that take place during the movies I highly recommend Dark Lord: Rise of Darth Vador. This takes place right after ep. III. Very good book. Labyrinth of Evil is very good, takes place right before ep. III.

The Darth Bane trilogy is the best series in the EU in my humble opinion. This is 1000 years before the movies. In the Old Republic era Deceived was pretty good, but Fatal Alliance was pretty weak.

There is a ton out there, im sure you will find something you like!

The Republic Commando novels by Karen Traviss are also rather good.

Only if you're trying to demonstrate how a bad novel reads like.

In addition to what most people have said. id like to sugjest

Mace Windu: Shatterpoint and,

Luke Skywalker and The Shadows of Mindor.

Both are by Stover and both are very good reads, they are a little darker than most starwars books, but that is why i like them.