The Immortal Game by David Shenk.
This book seems to cover everything about chess that wont help you improve in the least
Another excellent read was A Book of Chess by Alexander. Written shortly after Fischer won the WCC. The only downside was the descriptive notation.
I thought "The Queens Gambit" was a good chess novel.
You can have analysis and entertaining chess stories. For example, Yasser Seirawan's Chess Duels: My Games with the World Champions is a book that offers both.
If you want an enjoyable read without actual chess, I would suggest Linares! Linares! by Dirk Jan Ten Geuzendam, or maybe Bobby Fischer Comes Home by Helgi Olafsson, or any books by Genna Sosonko. I thought The Chess Artist by J.C.Hallman was fun and interesting, as was King's Gambit by Paul Hoffman and The King's of New York: A Year Among the Geeks, Oddballs and Geniuses who Make Up America's Top High School Chess Team by Michael Weinreb.
I haven't yet found a pure chess fiction book I really enjoyed.
Perhaps The Luzhin Defence by vladimir nabokov, I haven't read it myself though
http://www.amazon.com/Bobby-Fischer-Knew-Other-Stories/dp/1843820803
is an entertaining book for sure.
Really cool, lots of anecdotes, short bios, terminology, stuff you never even think of
Hated Luzhin Defense (the movie too).
Disliked Queen's Gambit as well (could only make it halfway through).
I really enjoyed Paul Morphy and the Evolution of Chess Theory by Shibut. It did require playing through the games as part of the book, but the book itself was really just a fun read.
Sarah Hurst's The Curse of Kirsan: Adventures in the Chess Underworld.
How life imitates chess- by GARRY KASPAROV
More info is on the link below
http://blog.chess.com/hptchess/how-life-imitates-chess
I want to second "The Immortal Game" suggestion. Not much of a big reader myself but I enjoyed it.
As far pure entertainment, I really enjoyed Mortal Games by Fred Waitzkin, and The Turk (I don't remember the author).
As far as entertaining and helping with chess, I liked A Ferocious Opening Repertoire by Cyrus Lakdawala.
Seeing David Hooper's name reminds me of this, an old favorite from way back when:
And then there's this one, although it does get a bit glib:
Chess Samurai by GM Ray Keene. Combines chess with Bruce lee's teachings. Wahtaaaah!
Please. No Raymundo.
There actually is a book entitled Chess To Enjoy, by Andy Soltis. I've read it twice.
I mean not for analysis or chess knowledge,something like chess stories,anecdotes,jokes etc.