Reading Through the Enneagram with Saraj...

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. 

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 9 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