One of the more important Star Wars books out right now is James Luceno’s Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel, which, in case the title isn’t obvious enough for you, is the direct prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
While it’s not absolutely crucial to read Catalyst before seeing Rogue One, it does pull back the proverbial curtain on certain character motivations and relationships that will surely make watching the movie more enjoyable.
Now that all of Star Wars literature, starting with 2014’s A New Dawn, is considered to be officially canon rather than part of the Legends line, that makes it all the more important to pick up the occasional Star Wars novel and absorb adventures set in a galaxy far, far away that aren’t being told on a screen.