Best novels and graphic novels?

I enjoyed Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover - it's basically Rambo II with Mace Windu instead of Rambo.

The Courtship of Princess Leia is excellent, I feel it really gets the characters.

Son of dathomir is my favorite.
Any of the new graphic novels like the sho turin war or obi wan and anakin series ate really cool.
The tarkin novel and lords of the sith are amazing.

http://www.imdb.com/list/ls063670214/

The original Tales Of The Jedi series, from Dark Horse Comics, had a very compelling story with an epic scope and some really strong character designs. This added a lot of interesting backstory about the origins of the Sith. Which was a major influence of the popular KOTOR video games.

Some of the collaborations between John Ostrander and Jan Duursema, like The Old Republic series (set during the Clone Wars) and Star Wars: Legacy were also very strong. Don't expect a quick read though. Those series went on for many years and became quite dense with ongoing plot lines.

Most of the old Expanded Universe is no longer canon, so I'm going to stick to suggestions based on the new canon:

Marvel comics:
-Star Wars: The main series, set between Episodes IV and V. Some great development for Luke in these comics, though there are also some great side stories as well, including Obi-Wan's years on Tatooine looking over young Luke.
-Darth Vader: Probably Marvel's best comic so far. Vader is demoted by Palpatine after failing to protect the Death Star, and has to redeem himself. In the process he discovers he has a son that is still living, has to do battle with "rival apprentices," and goes to other worlds as the Emperor's enforcer. There is a lot going on here, but all of it is fantastic.
-Vader Down: A great crossover between the Star Wars and Darth Vader series.
-Lando: The real surprise of the new Marvel comics. Lando pre-Empire Strikes Back, before he becomes administrator of Cloud City. He takes a job to steal an Imperial spaceship packed with rare artifacts, but what he doesn't know is that the spaceship he has stolen is Emperor Palpatine's!
-Shattered Empire: Basically stuff that happens across the galaxy following Return of the Jedi. Poe Dameron's parents are characters in the comic.
-Kanan: The backstory of Kanan from Star Wars Rebels. Surprisingly dark and edgy at times, certainly moreso than the Rebels TV series.
-Obi-Wan and Anakin: Set between Episodes I and II, this features a still young Anakin and Obi-Wan providing assistance to a barren, dystopian world, where the natives have never even heard of the Jedi, and are in the midst of a civil war.
-Han Solo: Set between Episodes IV and V, Han Solo goes on an undercover mission for the Rebellion, using a galactic race as his cover.
-Poe Dameron: A prequel to The Force Awakens, featuring Poe's exploits with his squadron and doing battle with the First Order.

Canon novels:
-Lords of the Sith: Palpatine and Vader are stranded on Ryloth due to the actions of freedom fighter Cham Syndulla (the father of Hera from Rebels). They have to fight together to survive the native, deadly creatures.
-Tarkin: A tale of Tarkin in the years following Episode III, which also details some of his backstory.
-Aftermath Trilogy: A series of novels set after Return of the Jedi ends, fleshing out what is to come for the galaxy.
-Bloodline: A Force Awakens prequel, detailing Leia's struggles during this time in the political climate, and the formation and early beginnings of the First Order.
-Lost Stars: Branded as a Young Adult novel, but don't let this ward you away. This is a great story of two childhood friends with dreams of being in the Empire, but eventually their allegiances and loyalties are divided. It covers a lot of familiar ground from a fresh perspective.
-Before the Awakening: Again, billed as Young Adult, but worth reading nonetheless. Three short stores about each of the new characters introduced in The Force Awaken's main cast.

Shadows of the Empire.

OHHH GOOOD FOR YOU!!

I am not very well versed in the novel portion of the Star Wars Expanded Universe(aka Legends continuity), But I have read a few and would definitely recommend the Thrawn Trilogy; Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command. Generally speaking, The Thrawn Trilogy has been considered the best the EU has to offer. What I personally enjoyed about it was that all the characters, hero or villain, act intelligently throughout and genuinely feel like seasoned professionals.

--
VOOTE:
http://www.voote.com/jsp/WAppServerPage.jsp?TransID=USERPAGE&UserID=B11808&Status=X

I liked reading the Tales series. Anthology books that tell a little bit about several lesser known characters.

Tales from Mos Eisley Cantina
Tales from Jabba's Palace
Tales from the Empire
Tales of the Bounty Hunters
Tales from the New Republic