The Youtini Star Wars Book Reading Order
here are a number of Star Wars Book reading orders including chronological order and publishing order.
However, there are a number of issues with those reading styles which we completely break down in our articles The Best Star Wars Book Reading Order and Should You Read Star Wars Books in Chronological Order?
Since we are so dissatisfied with existing reading orders, we decided to create our own.
The Best Star Wars Book Reading Order
We have a full breakdown of our recommended reading order and why we so frequently recommend it on our post The Best Star Wars Book Reading Order. But here is the short version:
- Start with the Youtini Foundational Five
- Read all the newest novels within 30 days of their release (use our release schedule)
- Use the Youtini Ideal Reading Order (see below)
- Pick books based on what you like (use our reading collections)
How We Created the Youtini Star Wars Book Reading Order
Our staff has individually analyzed every Star Wars novel ever written and placed it in our reading order based on the following criteria:
- Reading ease and required prior knowledge
- The memorability of the characters and their importance in Star Wars
- The comfort of the writing style and the flow of the book
- The relative importance of the book in the grand scheme of the EU
- Perhaps most importantly: the fun, entertainment, and likelihood to keep you hooked
How to Use the Youtini Star Wars Book Reading Order
Based on these factors, we have sorted books into 4 levels that you can peruse at your pleasure, and unlike other reading orders, you have a lot of freedom with ours.
You can read everything in the exact order that we present if you’d like, but you can also skip around as much as you want as long as you loosely stick to the same level before moving on to the next.
Here's a breakdown of each level:
Level 1: Must Read
These books are some of the best books to read first. They are the highest quality, important to the EU, and are an absolute blast to read. If you’re trying to find the best parts of Canon and Legends alike, Level 1 books should be your first priority.
Level 2: Should Read
These books are good, and there’s nothing wrong with being good! These books may not be as perfect as those in the level above them, but they all still maintain a high level of quality and can promise a lot of fun for the reader. Once you’ve finished Level 1, Level 2 should be your next goal if you are seeking the most well-rounded experience.
Level 3: Could Read
Get to these books when you’ve finished off the gems in Levels 1 and 2. A lot of these books vary dramatically in quality and often offer an average to mediocre experience. Get to them if you like, because sometimes, you don’t have to be too picky when Star Wars is on the cover.
Level 4: Can Skip
These books are controversial, occasionally just plain bad, and generally disliked by the community. That doesn’t mean that you won’t enjoy them, but consider this the level of diminishing returns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Level 1: Must Read
These books are some of the best books to read first. They are the highest quality, important to the EU, and are an absolute blast to read. If you’re trying to find the best parts of Canon and Legends alike, Level 1 books should be your first priority.
Level 2: Should Read
These books are good, and there’s nothing wrong with being good! These books may not be as perfect as those in the level above them, but they all still maintain a high level of quality and can promise a lot of fun for the reader. Once you’ve finished Level 1, Level 2 should be your next goal if you are seeking the most well-rounded experience.
Level 3: Could Read
Get to these books when you’ve finished off the gems in Levels 1 and 2. A lot of these books vary dramatically in quality and often offer an average to mediocre experience. Get to them if you like, because sometimes, you don’t have to be too picky when Star Wars is on the cover.
Level 4: Can Skip
These books are controversial, occasionally just plain bad, and generally disliked by the community. That doesn’t mean that you won’t enjoy them, but consider this the level of diminishing returns.
