Yeah, I like the X-Wing novels too...that's one of the good things about Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor is it has Rogue Squadron. The Republic Commando books weren't the best, in my opinion they started off real slow but they did grow on me so that wouldn't be considered the "best" to me. The Thrawn Trilogy just starts off with that Star Wars feeling and continues for 3 books. It has everything: great plot, action, plus it introduced Mara Jade, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Jorus C''Baoth, Talon Karde, and it was the 1st source to name Imperial Center as Coruscant. But then, I haven't liked any of Zahn's Star War's books since then.
I heard that there is a new book coming out about Darth Plagueis and actually found this on Wookiepedia
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Darth_Plagueis_(novel) so that is good news, but I think Palpatine/Darth Sidious needs his own novel to fill in the gaps and to piece together all the plots, schemes, conspiricies, etc....that he had going on.