favourite books

Books recommended by Quentin Johnson:

Beginner:
How to beat Your Dad at Chess by Murray Chander (review)
Chess Tactics for Kids by Murray Chander (review)

Beginner, next step:
More Chess for Children by Bolt and Morrison (review)
Logical Chess, Move by Move by Irving Chernev (review)

Chess.com posts about book recommendations:
Top 14 Chess Books for Beginners/Novices
Best books for Chess Beginners

For reviews of books/DVDs for more advanced players, it is hard to beat:
IM John Watson's reviews for the The Week in Chess