In Episode 218, Sarah chats with Enneagram author, speaker, and podcaster Sarajane Case about Reading Through the Enneagram. After a brief introduction to the Enneagram and how it differs from other personality systems, they dive into how Enneagram types show up in our reading lives — from guessing an author's type to rethinking our own habits as readers. Sarajane walks through the nine types, shares a book recommendation for each, and offers her own personal picks.
Note: This episode was republished due to an Apple Podcasts feed glitch that prevented it from appearing for some subscribers.
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
Highlights
Books by Sarajane Case: The Honest Enneagram and The Enneagram Letters
A brief introduction to the Enneagram — and how it differs from other personality systems
Sarajane's personal approach to working with the Enneagram
A quick overview of the nine Enneagram types
How each Enneagram type might approach reading
Whether (and how) we can discern an author's Enneagram type through their work (and the Enneagram types most and least likely to be authors themselves)
Practical tips for using your type to improve your reading life
Reading Through the Enneagram [29:51]
Type 1: The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw (2020) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:08]
Type 2: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (1963) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:50]
Type 3: In Five Years by Rebecca Serle (2020) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:27]
Type 4: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (2021) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:42]
Type 5: Fourth Wing (Empyrean, 1) by Rebecca Yarros (2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [32:56]
Type 6: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (2020) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:32]
Type 7: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (2021) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:56]
Type 8: Crook Manifesto (The Harlem Trilogy, 2) by Colson Whitehead (2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [34:20]
Type 9: Severance by Ling Ma (2018) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:16]
Other Books Mentioned The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, 1) by J. R. R. Tolkien (1954) [32:08]
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (1847) [33:49]
The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez (2019) [34:57]
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (2022) [35:23]
Sarajane's Book Recommendations [36:37]
Two OLD Books She Loves
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (1963) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:50]
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (1847) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:08]
Two NEW Books She Loves
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:09]
A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [43:14]
Other Books Mentioned Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2019) [42:05]
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2017) [42:16]
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2021) [42:28]
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2022) [42:37]
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (2022) [43:28]
One Book She DIDN'T Love
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami (1987) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [44:14]
Other Books Mentioned South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami (1992) [44:20]
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (2009) [44:49]
One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About
Theodora's Tea Shop by Christy Anne Jones (July 28, 2026 — no US release date set yet) | Link to Blackwell's for US Orders [45:52]
Other Links
Truity | Enneagram Personality Test
Ireland