Lucasfilm may love Star Wars geeks, but they are not being very nice to our pocketbooks. On April 23rd, a little less than two months, they are releasing almost all of the Episode II related books at once. From activity books to novelizations to reference materials, it all hits on the same day, and you probably can't afford to buy them all. So what is the most important of the lot to buy? Here's our recommendation:

1. Attack of the Clones Novelization by R.A. Salvatore ($26) - This tops our list because it is not only a retelling of the movie, but it expands on it, too. Lucas worked with Salvatore to expand on the movie storyline and delve deeper into the characters. You won't know the full story of Attack of the Clones without this book. Things that happen off screen or scenes cut from the film will be in this book.

2. The Art of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones by Mark Cotta Vaz ($35 hardcover, possible cheaper softcover) - This book not only features the script from the film, but it includes all of the beautiful artwork by Doug Chiang, Iain McCaig, and the rest of the gang. It's cool to see the evolution of the ships, creatures, and characters before they hit the big screen. And if you look carefully, you may see things that will eventually end up in Episode III.

3. Episode II Visual Dictionary by David West Reynolds (around $20) - Episode II Visual Dictionary will have great photos of the costumes, props, and weaponry of Episode II. It is a great reference for any fan, especially those that make costumes or those that create fan art. Besides the photos, the book will be filled with trivia and details about everything in the movie. If this version follows the Episode I version, it may be the only source of some of this detailed info.

4. Episode II Incredible Cross Sections by Curtis J. Saxton, illustrated by Hans Jenssen and Richard Chasemore (around $20) - Episode II Incredible Cross Sections shows highly detailed drawings of the ships and vehicles of Episode II. They are fun to check out and the text contains interesting trivia about the ships. While not providing any particularly exclusive information on the films, this is one of the coolest Episode II related books.

5. Boba Fett #1 - The Fight To Survive by Terry Bisson ($10) - Don't let the fact that this is a kid's book fool you. This book represents the first telling of the origin of Boba Fett. That alone makes it worth checking out. Whether or not it is a good story remains to be seen. It is also apparently the first in a series.

6. The New Essential Guide to Characters by Dan Wallace ($25) - This book is one of the best references for Star Wars fans. Besides having full biographies on characters from the books, comics, and cartoons, this updated Essential Guide will feature bios on characters from Episode II. This will be the best way to read up on Jango Fett, Count Dooku, and other characters in one spot without having to pick up a lot of other books.

There are a lot more books besides these coming out. You can see a full list in our Book Release Schedule listing on the left hand menu. However, these will be the ones you may not be able to live without. To get the ones listed above at full price will be in the ballpark of $136, but you will probably be able to find them on discount at the larger bookstores. Start saving your pennies now!