I believe I read all of Reinfeld's Complete Chess Course when I was fourteen. It contained many short chapters introducing a basic idea with several short examples, like tiny morality tales in which White or Black was swiftly punished for some strategic or tactical sin.
This was confusing when I got out into the real world of tournament chess and my opponents regularly flouted Reinfeldian chess morality. Yet I found myself unable to rain down Reinfeldian vengeance upon them.
What else would you do if not finish reading your books? Get the Cliffs Notes?
Once I start a chess book, I don't read the book cover-to-cover....I DIGEST it. Sometimes I even utilize a board.
Of course, I've only read/digested three chess books
Some exceptions for some opening books...some I use as reference, and may or may not read cover-to-cover. I am more likely to read cover-to-cover if it is an opening book that really explains the reasonings behind moves. For example, John Watson opening books do this and I believe that is helpful.
I don't own MCO and doubt I would read it cover-to-cover...at least not at this stage in my development...but then again, I may never become an IM like pfren.
Well, I suspect the terrible secret of IMs and higher is that they have spent an ungodly amount of time studying chess.
Every chess book I've ever had was read cover to cover- including the bad books (some 40% of the 700+ I own).
No suprise you're an IM then. Since you've read so many books, what are some of the best ones? (IYO)
Don't own too many,
All of jeremy silman a books and didn't read then cover to cover... But they're falling apart excluding his end game course.
Always open one up and look for a section that doesn't seem familiar but ive read those things at least five times each
The only other book I read deeply was Mastering The French by McDonald more than 10 years ago. I did not read the chapters on the Winawer or Rubenstein variations because I did not use them, but I read everything else. At that time, my performance rating with the French Defense was over 2000 and my overall performance with everything else was between 1600-1700. Yes, that book made an impact on me. It made studying the French really easy but as with any opening you have to really believe in and understand its ideas for it to work.
Yes, I finished my book for chess endings. I can't say that I improved very much in endgames, but it is my fault, because this book is one the best. I have to take my time and study the rook endings first of all.
cappa book for beginners. Cool book. One day i should read Fischers 60 best games. As far as i know its a gem
I have read literally about thirty chess books, maybe more and I suck. There is a disparity that exists between chess knowledge and chess ability for sure. Its really strange though for i would rather study chess than play it mostly. I like reading chess books for entertainment, cold scottish winter, real fire, glass of single malt, chess book, its awesome :D
Sounds spot on to me.
It depends on what is meant by finished...
1). read cover to cover
2). all the information inside absorbed (uncritically)
3). all the information inside understood, including where it might be at error
But no, I haven't even achieved 1). yet! 
Even absorbing one new idea from a book would improve one's game though. 
I found a great book titled, "The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played 62 Masterpieces of Chess Strategy" by Irving Chernev. It's pretty awesome almost through the first go aroung, replaying alot of the games because the commentary is so insightful.
I like watching chess DVDs.
I watched the following chess dvds and my chess rating skyrocketed up from 1320 to 1850 within 4 months. I think it was the knowledge that these dvds covered because it had common chess positions and material that occur frequently in games.
The nice thing about DVDs is that used DVDs are pretty much as good as new DVDs because they play well. But Used books look worse than new books and the spine can be broken too.
These DVDs are what I watched:
Foxy Volume 17 (Caro Kann Defense)
Foxy Volume 45 (Sicilian Dragon)
Foxy Volume 48 (Dutch Stonewall)
Foxy Volume 56 (Win with 1...d6 Part 1)
Foxy Volume 57 (Win with 1...d6 part 2)
Foxy Volume 58 (Combat Chess #1; Ten Lethal Weapons)
Foxy Volume 62 (21st Century Weapons)
Foxy Volume 121 (Dzindi Indian Volume 1)
Foxy Volume 122 (Dzindi Indian Volume 2)
Foxy Volume 123 (Dzindi Indian Volume 3)
Foxy Volume 135 (Stonewall & Colle Zukertort)
Crash Test Chess Volume 1: Using the Initiative
Crash Test Chess Volume 2: Think Outside the Box
Killer Endgames Part 1 (with GM Nick Pert)
Killer Endgames Part 2 (with GM Nick Pert)
Have all of Silman's books, all of Seirawan's series, all of Benko's 7 volume series, and many others.
I've given away a goodly number over the years when I realized I just wasn't ever going to open them in this lifetime.
So what have I read cover to cover? "Logical Chess Move by Move," "The Fireside Book of Chess," "The Chess Companion," by Chernev. Also, "The Bobby Fischer I Knew and Other Stories" by Denker, "Karl Marx Plays Chess" by Soltis, volumes 1 & 2 of the "Comprehensive Chess Course" by Benko, and "The Complete Idiots' Gude to Chess" by Wolff.
A caveat, though, in the story and anecdote books by Chernev, Denker, and Soltis I only read the stories and anecdotes; I didn't play over the games.
Read:
Logical Chess - Chernev
Play Winning Chess - Seirawan
I have read literally about thirty chess books, maybe more and I suck. There is a disparity that exists between chess knowledge and chess ability for sure. Its really strange though for i would rather study chess than play it mostly. I like reading chess books for entertainment, cold scottish winter, real fire, glass of single malt, chess book, its awesome :D
I'm with you there! Cheers!
When I was a child I used to swear by Reshevesky's books and I was also obsessed with studying Karpov's games.
I took off from Chess for poker for a good 10 years and ended up becoming a full-time grinder, now that I'm back playing Chess I've found myself drawn to puzzles or just playing.