I read 33 EU novels, mostly from 1996-2000 or so. Then life got in the way. Still have the Thrawn trilogy, flipped the rest for gear funds when I heard they weren't going to be cannon. It was a choice I understand but maybe could have been handled differently, such as keeping all stories told before the end of the ROTJ as canon, while wiping the slate clean for anything after. But nope, wiped the slate completely clean, and now thousands of stories are just akin to fan fiction. The EU really helped iron out some poor ideas introduced in the movies, such as the Rule of 2 mentioned in TPM. And I loved how every character in every scene of Jabba's palace had their own story, why does that need to change? The additional non-numbered movies could be a great opportunity to tell side stories like Rogue 1, but they are never going to fulfill the depth of the "Tales of..." book series.
I loved TFA. It has a heart to it that most movies don't. And legit humor at the right spots. Introducing new characters into the universe and unveiling our old favorites at the best time. The end scene has no words, but it hits me every time.
TLJ didn't have that same emotion, but a sense of darkness and dread leading to tension from fearing certain expected outcomes. I will talk more about it later when I have more time. Would love to dust off some good old geek arguments.
I think we are all a bit too cynical, in general. My best defense of anything Star Wars is referencing George Lucas saying these are supposed to be kids movies. We, as adults, or adult-aged children, are also drawn to it with out own perspective. Some of my nephews like the prequels, they grew up with it as just Star Wars, and not the compromised 2nd trilogy us older kids know it as. My wife doesn't care for the original trilogy, citing that Luke was a whiny kid and ruined it for her, but she really enjoys TFA. Also to note, that it is with such pride that my dotters (aged 14 and 9) love Star Wars too, and sharing the movie going experience with them makes my eyes juicy when the crawl starts.