Book Recs for Each Enneagram Type

Hi everyone! Welcome back to my blog! Today I wanted to create another fun blog post. I’ve been seeing enneagram posts all over Instagram lately, and I love it. Enneagrams are different personally and characteristic types that people can fall under. There are nine different types all with different definitive qualities. For instance, I am a type three which means I am an achiever. I am adaptive, driven, success-oriented and image-conscious. (All of this information is based on enneagraminstitute.org). Graphic designers on Instagram will make posts such as, Christmas movie quotes for each type or Enneagram types as Christmas characters, etc. and they are so much fun to look at.

So, I was feeling inspired and wanted to give each type 1-2 book recommendations. I based these recommendations off the short description from the enneagram website I mentioned above.

Type 1: The Reformer- The Great Gatsby

Type one’s are rational, idealistic, purposeful, and perfectionists. I picked The Great Gatsby because I feel like a type one would be able to relate with Jay Gatsby a lot. While he might not be rational when it comes to his parties or Daisy, but he is purposeful and comes off as perfect to outsiders. He has a lot of depth that I think a type one would be able to relate to.

Type 2: The Helper- Red, White, and Royal Blue

Type twos are defined as caring, demonstrative, generous, people-pleasing, and possessive. Again, this choice comes down to the two main characters. The Prince of Wales, Henry, and the son of the POTUS, Alex. Alex wants to maintain a good image and keep out of the lime light so his mother can get re-elected. Henry is more carefree and doesn’t care what others think of him. Alex screams type 2 but it takes someone like Henry to bring him out of his shell. Alex wants to be there for his mom, and he wants her to get re-elected, whatever it takes from him. I think Alex is someone a type two would be able to relate to.

Type 3: The Achiever- You are a Badass; Greenlights

When I think of type three, I think of motivation and (again) someone who is success-oriented. I feel like motivational books like You are a Badass is totally something a type three would read. I would read it. Sometimes the go-getter needs a push in the right direction or needs reassured of what they want is actually what they want. The second book is Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey. I just recently read this book and he gives some really valuable life advice and lessons which is why I put it here. I think it is a really valuable read especially for a type three.

Type 4: The Individualist- Children of Blood and Bone

Type fours are sensitive, withdrawn, dramatic, self-absorbed, etc. I picked this book because I think a type four would be able to relate to the characters the most. The main character Zélie is a strong female character lead, but sometimes she’s sensitive and falls back into her own head. She has a mission and it’s a lot of pressure for one person to restore magic to the entire continent. The Prince is a little dramatic. Him and Zélie are supposed to hate each other, and he is sent out to kill her. It’s a lot but also a very good read.

Type 5: The Investigator- An Unwanted Guest; Emma in the Night

Type fives are intense, perceptive, innovative, secretive, and isolated. For some reason I just get thriller vibes from this type. Maybe it’s the name, investigator, but also the qualities sound very thriller-like. I talked about An Unwanted Guest in my last blog post, but there is a lot of deceit and lies that happen in this book. It takes a lot to be able to see through them not just as a character but a reader as well. There are multiple moments when its so unclear who the killer is and what the motive could possibly be. Emma in the Night is the same way. All the characters do is lie and its up to the reader to figure out what exactly to believe. I feel like someone who is a type five would be able to see through the character’s lies.

Type 6: The Loyalist- Five Feet Apart

People who are type six are defined as committed, security-oriented, engaging, responsible, and anxious. I don’t know why, but when I read this description, I automatically think romance. I think of a more committed, endearing type of love. Five Feet Apart is a book about fighting for yourself and for your life. It is also been adapted into a movie with Cole Sprouse. The main point of the book is to keep fighting and to help others fight their battles when they have lost hope. Six’s are committed and responsible to fulfil these qualities.

Type 7: The Enthusiast- Love and Gelato; Fight or Flight

Type sevens are described as busy, fun-loving, spontaneous, versatile, distractable, and scattered. Both of the book recommendations I have given fall under romance; however, they are two very different types of romance. Love and Gelato is more of a light, young adult romance. The main character is sent to Italy to live with her dad for a while, and along the way she meets a cute boy. You know how the story goes. It is a carefree, wild story that inspires you to want to travel and live life to the fullest. On the other hand, Fight or Flight is a heavy, adult romance where two people meet and have a one-night stand. Then they keep running into each other and feelings start to form. Again, you know how the story goes. Both are filled with passion and love.

Type 8: The Challenger- Throne of Glass; This is Where it Ends

Type eights are powerful, dominating, self-confident, decisive, willful, and confrontational. I picked Throne of Glass because the main character Celaena is all of these qualities. She is powerful, confident, confrontational, badass, doesn’t care what others think of her, etc. She is such an amazing female lead character. Celaena fights for what is right and she is just such an inspiring character. I think type eights would really be able to relate to her and how she shows those qualities. This is Where it Ends is a heartbreaking book. Its message is so powerful; it is about a school shooting told from four student’s perspectives. The whole plot is very dominant and the tone is very serious. The shooter is very confrontational and wants justice for how he has been treated. The strong demeanor of the characters and the pull the plot has is something I think a type eight would enjoy and appreciate.

Type 9: The Peacemaker- Fan Girl

Type nines are easygoing, self-effacing, receptive, reassuring, agreeable, and complacent. For this enneagram I chose Fan Girl because the main character Cath is stuck in her ways and is looking for change. She wants to be like her sister, very outgoing, has a lot of friends, popular, etc. Cath is like the quiet younger sister that kind of just goes along with everything. Over the course of the book though, she finds herself and she finds her voice through her writing. I think she shows a lot of type nine qualities and is a very relatable and likable character because of that.