Preferred Canon

This is my personal list of "accepted" Star Wars canon. I have a few more candidates waiting in the wings, which I may include when I get around to reading them. This is a conservative list. I left out some tales that weren't exactly bad, but just didn't quite fit with the rest, in my opinion. I included a few here that I have not read, but I assume will be OK. I may strike them from the record later. 

I have also left out a few I may add back in. Heir to the Jedi and Aftermath fall into that category for me. I've heard bad things about Heir to the Jedi and have only tried reading a few sample chapters from Aftermath; I might be able to finish those books eventually, but I am not sure. Perhaps the content will be acceptable, even though the "delivery mechanism" leaves something to be desired. More on that later, after I attempt those novels in earnest.

My favorite book on this list is probably Kenobi, certainly the best Star Wars novel I've read recently. If the whole Force Awakens thing doesn't turn out, I'd be fine wrapping up my canon with the Zahn Hand of Thrawn duology. More than enough material here to live amidst the Galactic Civil War forever!

Legends, Canon

Adult fiction mostly, with some Young Adult and no Comic Books

Darth Plagueis, James Luceno (2012) (67 to 32 BBY)

Cloak of Deception, James Luceno (2001) (32.5 BBY)

Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter, Michael Reaves (2001) (32.5 BBY)

Ep. I: The Phantom Menace, Terry Brooks (1999) (32 BBY)

Outbound Flight, Timothy Zahn (2006) (27 BBY)

Ep. II: Attack of the Clones, R.A. Salvatore (2002) (22 BBY)

Republic Commando: Hard Contact, Karen Traviss (2004) (22 BBY)

The Cestus Deception, Steven Barnes (2004) (21 BBY)

MedStar I: Battle Surgeons, Michael Reaves & Steve Perry (2004) (20 BBY)

MedStar II: Jedi Healer, Michael Reaves & Steve Perry (2004) (20 BBY)

Labyrinth of Evil, James Luceno (2005) (19 BBY)

Ep. III: Revenge of the Sith, Matthew Stover (2005) (19 BBY)

Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, James Luceno (2005) (19 BBY)

Kenobi, John Jackson Miller (2013) (19 BBY)

Lords of the Sith, Paul S. Kemp (2015) (14 BBY)

Tarkin, James Luceno (2014) (14 BBY)

A New Dawn, John Jackson Miller (2014) (11 BBY)

Han Solo Trilogy 1: The Paradise Snare, A.C. Crispin (1997) (10 BBY)

Han Solo Trilogy 2: The Hutt Gambit, A.C. Crispin (1997) (5 to 4 BBY)

Han Solo Trilogy 3: Rebel Dawn, A.C. Crispin (1997) (3 to 0 BBY)

The Han Solo Adventures, Brian Daley (1979) (2 BBY)

Lost Stars, Claudia Gray (2015) (11 to 5 ABY)

Death Star, Michael Reaves & Steve Perry (2007) (1 BBY to 0 BBY)

Ep. IV: A New Hope, Alan Dean Foster (1976) (0 BBY)

The Weapon of a Jedi, Jason Fry (2015) (0 ABY)

Allegiance, Timothy Zahn (2007) (0.5 ABY)

Choices of One, Timothy Zahn (2011) (0.8 ABY)

Smuggler’s Run, Greg Rucka (2015) (0 ABY to 3 ABY)

Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina, various (1995) (0 ABY to 3 ABY)

Star Wars Battlefront: Twilight Company, Alexander Freed (2015) (1 ABY)

Ep. V: The Empire Strikes Back, Donald F. Glut (1980) (3 ABY)

Tales of the Bounty Hunters, various (1996) (3 ABY)

Moving Target, Cecil Castellucci & Jason Fry (2015) (3 ABY to 4 ABY)

Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi, James Kahn (1983) (4 ABY)

Tales from Jabba’s Palace, various (1996) (4 ABY)

Tales from the Empire, various (1997) (4 ABY)

Tales from the New Republic, various (1999) (4 ABY)

Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor, Matthew Stover (2008) (5.5 ABY)

X-Wing 1: Rogue Squadron, Michael Stackpole (1996) (6.5 ABY)

X-Wing 2: Wedge’s Gamble, Michael Stackpole (1996) (6.5 ABY)

X-Wing 3: The Krytos Trap, Michael Stackpole (1996) (7 ABY)

X-Wing 4: The Bacta War, Michael Stackpole (1997) (7 ABY)

Tatooine Ghost, Troy Denning (2003) (8 ABY)

Thrawn Trilogy 1: Heir to the Empire, Timothy Zahn (1991) (9 ABY)

Thrawn Trilogy 2: Dark Force Rising, Timothy Zahn (1992) (9 ABY)

Thrawn Trilogy 3: The Last Command, Timothy Zahn (1993) (9 ABY)

Specter of the Past, Timothy Zahn (1997) (19 ABY)

Vision of the Future, Timothy Zahn (1998) (19 ABY)

Before the Awakening, Greg Rucka (2015) (~34 ABY)

Ep. VII: The Force Awakens, Alan Dean Foster (2015) (~34 ABY)