Read a Star Wars Book for May the 4th: The Event Strikes Back

[Heather Reads Books]

Hello everyone! I know I haven't been around much lately but I realized it was mid-April and there was some interest in reviving the Star Wars event from last year. If you're interested, let me know here.

If you weren't here last year: for the month of May, we did an unofficial event where we read books of the supplementary Star Wars canon, of which there are numerous options. (Or, if that's not your style, something Star Wars adjacent, such as one of Carrie Fisher's books.) It was a good time and I got to nerd immensely because reading the Expanded Universe novels of the 90s was a formative reading experience for me.

Sound off below!

[Algernon (Darth Anyan)]

Do comic books count?
If they do, I will join the Alliance and blast away at those damn Imperials

[Jason]

Algernon (Darth Anyan) wrote: "Do comic books count?
If they do, I will join the Alliance and blast away at those damn Imperials"

All for One and One for All!!!

No wait!! Wrong rebellion.


I will read Thrawn: Alliances - Timothy Zahn, the sequel to the book I read last year.

[Theresa]

If you had not posted about this soon, I was going to PM you a reminder! I've been looking forward to this since January!


I have 3 books all picked out - and should be able to manage to read at least 2 of them in May!

And I just love the title you gave the thread!

[Joy D]

I will join in. Not sure yet what I'll read but it sounds like fun!

[Theresa]

I have my options picked out and ready:

Han Solo's Revenge
Star Wars: Razor's Edge
Wishful Drinking - may not get to this plus I saw her perform this as her one woman show - so good.

[Heather Reads Books]

Algernon (Darth Anyan) wrote: "Do comic books count?
If they do, I will join the Alliance and blast away at those damn Imperials"

Comics absolutely count!

[Heather Reads Books]

Theresa wrote: "If you had not posted about this soon, I was going to PM you a reminder! I've been looking forward to this since January!


I have 3 books all picked out - and should be able to manage to read at l..."

I'm so glad! Sorry I have been a bit quiet, the reading slump has been real, but maybe some Star Wars can kick me back into gear.

I am thinking of revisiting the original Thrawn trilogy by Timothy Zahn - I've been meaning to finish Star Wars: The Last Command for ages, but I might try to reread at least some of Star Wars: Heir to the Empire - I run a Star Wars TTRPG group and my players just agreed to do a mission I am basing on the clones plot from the trilogy. But it's been so long since I had the original idea I need a refresher. XD

[KateNZ]

I’ve got ‘Heir to the Empire’ locked in and ready to read!

[Joy D]

I am reading William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope.

[Theresa]

First May the 4th finish!

Wishful Drinking - Carrie Fisher's memoir adapted from her one woman show script.

here's my review - with a photo!

Next up is Star Wars: Razor's Edge which I think appropriately has Princess Leia at its main character. I'll soon see. It's also the only one written by one of my favorite SFF writers, Martha Wells, who like our own Heather, has been a superfan of Star Wars since childhood. There's a lovely little homage to her fandom in the Acknowledgments preceding the first chapter.

ETA: I should mention here that I actually saw Carrie perform Wishful Drinking at Studio 54 in 2009. It was wonderful and so funny.

[Joy D]

I finished and written my review in verse form:

William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope by Ian Doescher - 4* - My Review

PBT Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

May the Fourth, and Force, be always with you!

[Theresa]

Joy - that is so creattive!

[Algernon (Darth Anyan)]

I'll be starting today on Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Omnibus, Vol. 2, the Star Wars universe response to the Indiana Jones franchise, with a feminist twist so a good candidate for Strong Women tag. I liked the first omnibus edition, but at 560 pages I think it will take me about a week to finish.

[Theresa]

Just finished, after staying up too late, Star Wars: Razor's Edge by Martha Wells, and yes, I read it in a bout half a day, including sleep time. I picked this one because Wells is one of my favorite SciFi authors due to Murderbot, and when I read recently that she'd been a Star Wars fan since childhood and was beyond thrilled when given the opportunity to write a book in the Universe, I went hunting for it to read this month.

It was so worth it! Strong Woman Princess Leia is its narrator. For more, here's my review.

I have a third book picked out to read for The Event Strikes Back. I'm now thinking I will hold off and save it for next year. I've just read 2 excellent strong woman Princess Leia books. Why break that streak?

The Wells' book is a delight.

Now I need to go re-watch Star Wars, The First. I saw it when it premiered in NYC at the Ziegfeld, a huge movie theater on 6th Avenue, now sadly no longer. Waited on line for it for hours for one of the opening day showings. It blew my mind. Saw it at least 3 more times in various theaters as it ran for months. Even introduced it to my entire family on a holiday visit on the farm.

[Jason]

Thrawn: Alliances - Timothy Zahn

My Review

This is fun. Thank you for getting this going each year. Its outside of my normal reading but enjoyable.

[KateNZ]

Finally finished Star Wars: Heir to the Empire. A really fun read!

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Theresa]

In a time far far away, 48 years ago to be exact, in a theater near some of us, Star Wars landed on May 25th, 1977. The world was changed forever. It also brought us together here.

Happy Anniversary, Star Wars!

[Theresa]

I stood in one of these lines then in NYC. It was a week after my college graduation, a time of freedom to do something like that with friends. Little did we know...

I don't care how many prequels are created and subtitles it is given, this will always be the first.

[Theresa]

And what does it say that my 50th reunion from Barnard and Columbia will be the same month, even the same day, as the 50th Anniversary of Star Wars?

[Karin]

Joy D wrote: "I am reading William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope."

I loved the audiobook for this one. Full cast, well done and improves the books if you listen to audiobooks.

[Algernon (Darth Anyan)]

My greatest regret is that I had not kept the poster that I stole back in 1978 from outside the cinema when I first saw the movie. It was lost when I got back home from university, along with my two ABBA posters.

In more recent news, I though the second Dr Aphra anthology was weaker than the first album, but it is only half of the intended story arc, so I guess I will pick up the third omnibus also