Don't know which STAR WARS novels to read in order to 'live it' in the same order they did?  Not quite sure where the books fit into the scheme of the Star Wars universe according to the time in which each book is set?

To make it a bit easier to visualize the order in which they should be read if you wanted to 'start at the beginning', here is the most recent list - in timeline chronology (give or take a bit of 'overlap'):

(Note: This list does not include the children's series of books)

1003 Years Before Events in STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (First Movie)

1003YB DARTH BANE: PATH OF DESTRUCTION - Drew Karpyshyn - Pub 09/2006

33.0YB DARTH MAUL: SABOTEUR (eBook Novella) - James Luceno - Pub 2001

32.5YB CLOAK OF DECEPTION - James Luceno - Pub 06/2002
32.5YB DARTH MAUL: SHADOW HUNTER - Michael Reaves - Pub 11/2001

32.0YB STAR WARS EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE - Terry Brooks - Pub 02/2000

29.0YB ROGUE PLANET - Greg Bear - Pub 05/2000

27.0YB OUTBOUND FLIGHT - Timothy Zahn - Pub 01/2006

22.5YB THE APPROACHING STORM - Alan Dean Foster - Pub 01/2003

22.0YB STAR WARS: EPISODE II ATTACK OF THE CLONES - R. A. Salvatore - Pub 04/2002
22.0YB REPUBLIC COMMANDO: HARD CONTACT - Karen Traviss - Pub 10/2004

21.5YB SHATTERPOINT - Matthew Woodring Stover - Pub 06/2003

21.0YB THE CESTUS DECEPTION - Steven Barnes - Pub 06/2004
21.0YB THE HIVE (eBook Novella) - Steven Barnes - Pub 05/2004
21.0YB REPUBLIC COMMANDO: TRIPLE ZERO - Karen Traviss - Pub 02/2006|
21.0YB REPUBLIC COMMANDO: TRUE COLORS - Karen Traviss - Pub 10/2007

20.0YB MEDSTAR I: BATTLE SURGEONS - Michael Reeves/Steve Perry - Pub 06/2004
20.0YB MEDSTAR II: JEDI HEALER - Michael Reeves/Steve Perry - Pub 09/2004

19.5YB JEDI TRIAL - David Sherman/Dan Cragg - Pub 10/2004
19.5YB YODA: DARK RENDEZVOUS - Sean Stewart - Pub 11/2004

19.0YB LABYRINTH OF EVIL - James Luceno - Pub 01/2005
19.0YB STAR WARS EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH - Matthew Stover - Pub 04/2005
19.0YB DARK LORD: THE RISE OF DARTH VADER - James Luceno - Pub 11/2005

18-11YB JEDI TWILIGHT - Michael Reaves - Pub 2008
18-11YB CHIAROSCURO - Michael Reaves - Pub 2008
18-11YB PATTERNS OF FORCE - Michael Reaves - Pub 2008

10.0YB THE HAN SOLO TRILOGY: THE PARADISE SNARE - A. C. Crispin - Pub 05/1997

5.0YB  LANDO CALRISSIAN AND THE MINDHARP OF SHARU - L. Neil Smith - Pub 07/1983

5-4.0YB THE HAN SOLO TRILOGY: THE HUTT GAMBIT- A. C. Crispin - Pub 08/1997

4.0YB LANDO CALRISSIAN AND THE FLAMEWIND OF OSEON - L. Neil Smith - Pub 10/1983

3.0YB LANDO CALRISSIAN AND THE STARCAVE OF THONBOKA - L. Neil Smith - Pub 10/1983
3.0-0YB THE HAN SOLO TRILOGY:  REBEL DAWN- A. C. Crispin - Pub 03/1998

2.0YB THE HAN SOLO ADVENTURES: HAN SOLO AT STARS' END - Brian Daley - Pub 09/1979
2.0YB THE HAN SOLO ADVENTURES: HAN SOLO'S REVENGE - Brian Daley - Pub 1979
2.0YB THE HAN SOLO ADVENTURES: HAN SOLO AND THE LOST LEGACY - Brian Daley - Pub 1979__________________________________________________________________________
0.0Y STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE - Alan Dean Foster - Pub 11/1976
0.0Y ALLEGIANCE - Timothy Zahn - Pub 01/2007
__________________________________________________________________________

THE YEARS AFTER THE EVENTS IN STAR WARS A NEW HOPE

0-3.0YA GALAXIES: THE RUIN OF TANTOOINE - Veronice Whitney Robinson/Haden Blackman - Pub 12/2003
0-3.0YA TALES FROM THE MOS EISLEY CANTINA - ed Kevin J Anderson - Pub 07/1995

2.0YA SPLINTER OF THE MIND'S EYE - Alan Dean Foster - Pub 03/1978

3.0YA STAR WARS EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK - Donald F Glut - Pub 04/1980
3.0YA TALES OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS - ed Kevin J Anderson - Pub 12/1996

3.5YA SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE - Steve Perry - Pub 12/1996

4.0YA STAR WARS EPISODE VI: RETURN OF THE JEDI - James Kahn - Pub 05/1983
4.0YA TALES FROM JABBA'S PALACE - ed Kevin J Anderson - Pub 12/1995
4.0YA TALES FROM THE EMPIRE - ed Peter Schweighofer - Pub 12/1997
4.0YA TALES FROM THE NEW REPUBLIC - ed Peter Schweighofer - Pub 12/1999
4.0YA THE BOUNTY HUNTER WARS: THE MANDALORIAN ARMOR - K. W. Jeter - Pub 07/1998
4.0YA THE BOUNTY HUNTER WARS: SLAVE SHIP - K. W. Jeter - Pub 1998
4.0YA THE BOUNTY HUNTER WARS: HARD MERCHANDISE - K. W. Jeter - Pub 07/1999
4.0YA THE TRUCE AT BAKURA - Kathy Tyers - Pub 12/1993

6.5YA X-WING: ROGUE SQUADRON - Michael Stackpole - Pub 01/1996
6.5YA X-WING: WEDGE'S GAMBLE - Michael Stackpole - Pub 06/1996
6.5YA X-WING: THE KRYTOS TRAP - Michael Stackpole - Pub 10/1996
6.5YA X-WING: THE BACTA WAR - Michael Stackpole - Pub 02/1997
6.5YA X-WING: WRAITH SQUADRON - Aaron Allston - Pub 03/1998
6.5YA X-WING: IRON FIST - Aaron Allston - Pub 08/1998
6.5YA X-WING: SOLO COMMAND - Aaron Allston - Pub 02/1999

8.0YA THE COURTSHIP OF PRINCESS LEIA - Dave Wolverton - Pub 05/1994
8.0YA A FOREST APART (eBook Novella) - Troy Denning - Pub 02/2003
8.0YA TATOOINE GHOST - Troy Denning - Pub 02/2003

9.0YA THRAWN TRILOGY: HEIR TO THE EMPIRE - Timothy Zahn - Pub 05/1991
9.0YA THRAWN TRILOGY: DARK FORCE RISING - Timothy Zahn - Pub 06/1992
9.0YA THRAWN TRILOGY: THE LAST COMMAND - Timothy Zahn - Pub 04/1993
9.0YA X-WING: ISARD'S REVENGE - Michael Stackpole - Pub 04/1999

11.0YA JEDI ACADEMY TRILOGY: JEDI SEARCH - Kevin J Anderson - Pub 02/1994
11.0YA JEDI ACADEMY TRILOGY: DARK APPRENTICE - Kevin J Anderson - Pub 07/1994
11.0YA JEDI ACADEMY TRILOGY: CHAMPIONS OF THE FORCE - Kevin J Anderson - Pub 10/1994
11.0YA I, JEDI - Michael Stackpole - Pub 05/1998

12-13YA CHILDREN OF THE JEDI - Barbara Hambly - Pub 05/1995
12-13YA DARKSABER - Kevin J Anderson - Pub 11/1995
12-13YA PLANET OF TWILIGHT - Barbara Hambly - Pub 05/1997
12-13YA X-WING: STARFIGHTERS OF ADUMAR - Aaron Allston - Pub 08/1999

14.0YA THE CRYSTAL STAR - Vonda McIntyre - Pub 12/1994

16-17YA BLACK FLEET CRISIS TRILOGY: BEFORE THE STORM - Michael P Kube-McDowell - Pub 04/1996
16-17YA BLACK FLEET CRISIS TRILOGY: SHIELD OF LIES - Michael P Kube-McDowell - Pub 09/1996
16-17YA BLACK FLEET CRISIS TRILOGY: TYRANT'S TEST - Michael P Kube-McDowell - Pub 01/1997

17.0YA THE NEW REBELLION - Kristine Rusch - Pub 12/1996

18.0YA CORELLIAN TRILOGY: AMBUSH AT CORELLIA - Roger MacBride Allen - Pub 03/1995
18.0YA CORELLIAN TRILOGY: ASSAULT AT SELONIA - Roger MacBride Allen - Pub 07/1995
18.0YA CORELLIAN TRILOGY: SHOWDOWN AT CENTERPOINT - Roger MacBride Allen - Pub 10/1995

19.0YA HAND OF THRAWN DUOLOGY: SPECTER OF THE PAST - Timothy Zahn - Pub 12/1997
19.0YA HAND OF THRAWN DUOLOGY: VISION OF THE FUTURE - Timothy Zahn - Pub 09/1998

22.0YA FOOL'S BARGAIN (eBook Novella) - Timothy Zahn - Pub 02/2004
22.0YA SURVIVOR'S QUEST - Timoth Zahn - Pub 02/2004

25.0YA BOBA FETT: A PRACTICAL MAN (eBook Novella) - Karen Traviss - Pub 08/2006
25.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: VECTOR PRIME - R A Salvatore - Pub 10/1999
25.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: DARK TIDE I: ONSLAUGHT - Michael Stackpole - Pub 02/2000
25.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: DARK TIDE II: RUIN - Michael Stackpole - Pub 06/2000
25.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: AGENTS OF CHAOS I: HERO'S TRIAL - James Luceno - Pub 08/2000
25.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: AGENTS OF CHAOS II: JEDI ECLIPSE - James Luceno - Pub 10/2000

26.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: BALANCE POINT - Kathy Tyers - Pub 11/2000
26.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: RECOVERY (eBook Novella) - Troy Denning - Pub 10/2001
26.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: EDGE OF VICTORY I: CONQUEST - Greg Keyes - Pub 04/2001

27.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: EDGE OF VICTORY II: REBIRTH - Greg Keyes - Pub 08/2001
27.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: STAR BY STAR - Troy Denning - Pub 10/2001
27.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: DARK JOURNEY - Elaine Cunningham - Pub 02/2002
27.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: ENEMY LINES I: REBEL DREAM - Aaron Allston - Pub 04/2002
27.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: ENEMY LINES II: REBEL STAND - Aaron Allston - Pub 06/2002
27.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: TRAITOR - Matthew Stover - Pub 08/2002

28.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: DESTINY'S WAY - Walter Jon Williams - Pub 10/2002
28.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: YLESIA (eBook Novella) - Walter Jon Williams - Pub 09/2002
28.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: FORCE HERETIC I: REMNANT - Shawn Williams/Shane Dix - Pub 02/2003
28.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: FORCE HERETIC II: REFUGEE - Shawn Williams/Shane Dix - Pub 04/2003
28.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: FORCE HERETIC III: REUNION - Shawn Williams/Shane Dix - Pub 07/2003
28.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: THE FINAL PROPHECY - Greg Keyes - Pub 10/2003

29.0YA NEW JEDI ORDER: THEUNIFYING FORCE - James Luceno - Pub 11/2003

35.0YA DARK NEST TRILOGY: THE JOINER KING - Troy Denning - Pub 07/2005

36.0YA DARK NEST TRILOGY: THE UNSEEN QUEEN - Troy Denning - Pub 09/2005
36.0YA DARK NEST TRILOGY: THE SWARM WAR - Troy Denning - Pub 12/2005

40.0YA LEGACY OF THE FORCE: BETRAYAL - Aaron Allston - Pub 05/2006
40.0YA LEGACY OF THE FORCE : BLOODLINES - Karen Traviss - Pub 08/2006
40.0YA LEGACY OF THE FORCE: TEMPEST - Troy Denning - Pub 11/2006
40.0YA LEGACY OF THE FORCE: EXILE - Aaron Allston - Pub 02/2007
40.0YA LEGACY OF THE FORCE: SACRIFICE - Karen Traviss - Pub 05/2007
40.0YA LEGACY OF THE FORCE: INFERNO - Troy Denning - Pub 08/2007
40.0YA LEGACY OF THE FORCE: FURY - Aaron Allston - Pub 11/2007
40.0YA LEGACY OF THE FORCE: REVELATION - Karen Traviss - Pub 03/2008
40.0YA LEGACY OF THE FORCE: INVINCIBLE - Troy Denning - Pub 06/2008