Reading progress update: I've read 361 out of 361 pages.
My disappointment with the recent Star Wars movie led me to revist the Thrawn trilogy that was supposed to be the original stand-in for Episodes 7-9. While I understand why they couldn't be used as the material for the movies, rereading them just underscores for me how they embody everything that I find missing from the films, including character development and a compelling story that develops its mysteries naturally without resorting to silly plot devices. *Sigh*