Well...hello there.
Actually, I didn't read the EU novels until after I saw TLJ. As a movie it is technically superior to any of the other Disney era movies. It really is superior if taken ONLY as a movie and not part of a continuing storyline or franchise. At least, as far as it was made. It's actual writing and story....well...
As a movie that makes sense, it is absolutely the WORST movie (of course, that is key for a LOT of RJ's movies), racist to boot (also true to RJ's movies, people like to talk about Knives out...the question for that movie is why the minority is basically ALSO a white individual even if ethnically they fall into a minority group, so many OTHER representations he COULD have used...but no...let's go with the white one instead), and from what I can see, not very into the actual spirit of Star Wars. (The racist part was probably the most offensive to me though, but it's something I think most don't even notice in regards to HOW the movie actually treats minorities and their importance to the plot in their effectiveness or what they accomplish).
It was bad enough in that light that I thought even the EU couldn't be THIS bad. I had scorned the EU for the most part up until then, thinking it was a bunch of poorly written novels. With TLJ I felt nothing in them could be that bad (and for the most part, from what I've heard now, they aren't...key is being on heard). Now, I admit, I couldn't really stand reading them still, so I got them on audio book and listened to them while I traveled. Not the best, but more consistent than TLJ was with the rest of Star Wars and most of them at least make more sense in relation to the whole of what they are compared to.
So, technically I suppose you are right, I've listened to many EU books since TLJ came out. I didn't BEFORE TLJ came out though. It was the nonsense of TLJ (2d chase in space...really? Can't hyperspace past them and do a pincer movement, even in 2d? really? Luke's 3 lessons were actually 2 lessons? Really...Luke can't count and neither can Rey??? He can't even count to 3! Much less 10. Luke dies because he forced too hard? Does this mean I can focus too hard to the point it will kill me as well?? You know those people who die constantly from focusing too hard for an hour or so. College students are dying like flies! Like...that's really a thing???)
It just goes on and on on and on (Cell phone jokes that got dated REALLY quickly and are dated even now are a thing in a totally different universe??? Using said jokes are actually going to work against a military force that we are supposed to think were able to take over the galaxy in a few hours? And we are supposed to think this military force was able to threaten the galaxy when they are stalled by a few yo mama jokes???? Really...what is this...is this how you make the bad guys look efficient and menacing, or how you make the good guys look like they are really...really...really just terrible at doing what they do????...etc...etc...ect).
There are some ridiculous things in Lucas's approved EU books, but normally they don't stretch my limits of imagination the way TLJ did.
