Today I’m combining two of my favorite things: personality theory and summer reading.
I’ve chosen a great summer read that features a protagonist representing each of the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types. (Is it difficult to type fictional characters? Yes, because the text usually provides incomplete information. I’d love to hear alternate theories in comments.)
Should you only read the book for your type? Of course not. But seeing which characters embody the various types will help you better understand the Myers-Briggs Type Index and yourself.
Not sure which type you are? Take this short, free test to begin exploring your type.
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The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry
The Lost Sisterhood
To Kill A Mockingbird
Pride and Prejudice
The Signature of All Things
Outlander
Anne of Green Gables
11/22/63: A Novel
Gone With the Wind
Everyone Is Beautiful
Bridget Jones’s Diary
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand
North and South
Emma
Still Life (Chief Inspector Gamache Mysteries, No. 1)
In the idyllic small town of Three Pines, Quebec, where people don’t even lock their doors, a beloved local woman is found in the woods with an arrow shot through her heart. The locals believe it must be a hunting accident, but the police inspector senses something is off. The story is constructed as a classic whodunit but it feels like anything but, with its deliberate pacing, dry wit, and lyrical writing. A stunningly good first novel. Still Life is the first in a series that keeps getting better. Great on audio.
More info →Want more book recommendations? Check out the 2017 Summer Reading Guide and take the What’s your reading personality? quiz.
P.S. The Enneagram types of your favorite books, characters, and authors, MBTI: strengths :: enneagram: motivations, my burst of insight, and 5 reasons discovering your personality type will change your life.
P.P.S. I wrote a book about personality! In Reading People: How Seeing the World through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything, I walk you through 7 different frameworks, explaining the basics in a way you can actually understand, sharing personal stories about how what I learned made a difference in my life, and showing you how it could make a difference in yours, as well.
50 comments
I’m a campigner but I don’t see a book for that type. Am I missing something here?
You might want to check by your acronym. I am an “adventurer” according to the quiz she linked, which lists as “the composer.”
We’re under ‘The Inspirer’ in regards to this post! Bridget Jones, here I come…..lol.
I see a lot of faves on this list, but you absolutely nailed my recommendation. I’m an ISTJ and The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry was top three books last year. I loved it so much.
Thanks for the list Anne! I am an ISFJ, but noticed some of my favorite books listed are under complete opposite personality types, mostly the extroverts. Hmm… just curious, anyone else feel this way too?
I’m an INFJ, heavy on the I and most of my favorites on the list are also extroverts. In real life, all my best friends have always been extroverts. They bring me into conversations and activities that I probably wouldn’t otherwise participate in. It makes sense to me that I’m drawn to them in books as well.
Yes, Stephanie, same for me!
Same for me, Stephanie!
I was shocked that I scored more introverted, 55-45. I must not have answered the questions correctly! Anyway, I saw several interesting books, and some that I have already read, under different personality types.
Another good personality indicator model, one that I like even better than Myers-Briggs (which measures preferences)is the Enneagram (which measures motivation). I wondered if you are familiar with it. Fr. Richard Rohr has done some interesting writing about it in a spiritual context but there are also more secular explorations by a number of authors, mainly Helen Palmer. The concept is taught by Sandra Smith at the Alchemy Institute in North Carolina; her workshops are terrific! A link for the Enneagram Institute: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-descriptions
This is hilarious! I scrolled down quickly to find my INTP book and laughed! I had put off reading 11/22/63 until just last month. I read it and loved it. Great recommendation!
…same – INTP, picked up a copy of the book about a year ago, read it this April. Loved it so much, had to watch the Hulu series right after!
haha me too. I tend to the analysis paralysis so I’ve been looking at this book for years and saying no, but maybe I’ll give it a try.
Love this list. I have been meaning to (re)read To Kill a Mockingbird for a while now. I can’t even remember if I read it in high school! The other books look good too! Thanks!
I took the test and am an ISTJ. As I was reading about the ISTJ personality, I must agree that I really am an ISTJ. So I added The Storied Life of A.J.Fikry to my Want to Read list but several others looked interesting too.
As an ESFP, I could not get through Everyone is Beautiful…. her life with small children and all of the emotions felt to real for me and I needed an escape not a version of real life. So all of that to say, the main character probably is an ESFP.
I’m an INFP and just read Anne this year. I don’t identify with her chattiness, but definitely with everything else about her!
I also just read Jane Eyre, and I’m pretty sure she’s an INFP as well.
I don’t see much for the ISFP-A here. I’m an Adventurer and would love to know if there are any books out there embracing this type.
It lists Harry Pottery for the ISFP. Each MBTI type has one book listed.
I am INFP and, of course, I love Anne of Green Gables. She is who I want to be when I grow up! I was in the middle of re-reading it when we moved last month and it has not surfaced in my stack of books. I may have to go buy another copy ( ! ) So many books on the list are ones I have read and loved: Major Pettigrew, 11/22/63, ( which is in my top 10 favorite books ever), AJ Fikry, To Kill a Mockingbird, which will forever be my #1 favorite book, Harry Potter, which I have read and re-read, ( got the illustrated version for Christmas this year), Pride and Prejudice, which I want to re-read soon. Have Emma and The Signature of All things on my TBR list. read Gone With the Wind when I was 10 or so. I was staying with my grandparents in Atlanta and I had read everything else available. I love mysteries, but i did not care for the Inspector Gamache. Read the first one and that was it. Some of the others sound intriguing.
I’m a defender. I don’t see that personality type included here. Am I missing something?
Loved this post (as always ?). I’m an INFJ and I remember reading Gone with the wind and absolutely hating Scarlett at times while also being fascinated by her – emotions I’ve experienced with real life ESTP’s as well ?
Have you ever done a post on Harry Potter and MBTI? Would love to read or hear more from you on that subject.
Much love from Iceland ??
I’m a ENTJ, the commander. I always have to restrain from taking charge, lol. I love the Louise Penny series, so it fits! I like a lot of the other books listed under some of the other personality types as well.
Ha! I’m an INFP and just reread Anne of Green Gables in June. Still my favorite!
Thanks so much for all your wonderful posts and book suggestions!
This is so cool! I’m an ISTJ and AJ Fikry was my favorite book of 2014! Right on target 🙂
I listened to the audio version of “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” last year during my daily commute. Nothing wrong with it, just not not a favorite. If I had been reading it, I probably would not have finished it. Do you (or anyone else) have another recommendation for an ISTJ engineer please?
So I was pegged INFP-T so… Anne of Green Gables huh? Ironically I bought it to read with my daughter this summer. Not sure if the hanging T changes things. Not sure I’m a solid Dreamer. But it sure is close.
I’m an ESTP and I have zero interest in reading Gone With the Wind. However, I was an Escapist in Anne’s survey, so I guess I just want to escape my own personality type when I read! Many of the other books are much more intriguing. I loved AJ Fikry!
I think a lot of ENTJs like Science Fiction and Fantasy. So I would choose Cinder from The Lunar Chronicles. She is fiercely loyal to her friends and not afraid to make unpopular decisions. Kelsier from Sanderson’s book, Mistborn, because is a charismatic leader.
I’m an INFJ and I (of course) fantasize about which 3 books I would love and which book would be “not my favorite” if I was ever on WSIRN and To Kill a Mockingbird is hands down my most “not favorite” book. Oops. I can’t count the amount of times I’ve attempted to get through it and failed. However, my INTP husband read and loved your pick for him so go figure.
I’m an INFJ too and found it uninteresting in high school. I’m totally a Harry Potter and Anne of Green Gables fan! However, I feel I read to escape my thoughts, so putting myself in a different world with some comparable traits must be more my thing 🙂
I am an INTJ, and I love Pride and Prejudice! As an INTJ though, I hate it when Elizabeth is first wrong about Wickham — I want her to see through him right away and don’t want her to be fooled by him in the least! Sure, Darcy makes mistakes too – but I have such high expectations for Elizabeth that I don’t want her to be wrong.
I also agree that this is spot on, I’m an ESFJ and really identified with Margaret when I read North and South years ago. It also helped me “type” one of my real life mentors (which I’ve been curious about for a while), who bares amazing resemblance in personality (and Penny’s physical description) to our beloved Inspector Gamache!
I am an INFP to the bone! Anne of Green Gables has been a favorite of mine since I was in elementary school. I loved this list!
I am an ENFP & Bridge Jones is one of my all time faves! Good call Anne!
I love everything about this list except the characterization of Louise Penny as “cranking out” books featuring Armand Gamache. Her books are finely crafted and beautifully layered works! Hardly “cranked out”…
Other than that, I found the list spot on. Even as a little girl, my mom likened me to Anne of Green Gables, and when I took the test I was labeled an “INFP-T”. I still find “Anne” a soothing book to which to retreat when the world is draws too close and is too noisy.
Ha! Fair point. I meant to imply that she diligently and skillfully puts words to paper at a professional speed. 🙂
I am a defeder – couldn’t find that category ?
Defender 🙂
Over the years as I’ve taken the Meyers Briggs repeatedly, I’ve learned that I usually have only a slight preference for E over I and P over J. I searched for my current result (ENFP) and had read that book so, why not check some of the variations. I’ve read and enjoyed each one of the four. I’m only 4 for 12 of the remaining types. Interesting. Do I unconsciously self-select or are the genres really that different? Looking forward to reading your book when it comes out.
I have to say – I have tried twice to read Bridget Jones and I am like 90% sure I’m an ENFP and I do not like it. Not for me! Sigh. Oh well. Maybe reading all of them will reveal my true Myers Briggs??
You can definitely BE the type and not want to READ a protagonist who shares your proclivities! Don’t doubt your type just because Bridget Jones isn’t for you. 🙂
It looks as if I’m mad, but I LOATHE Myers-Briggs and their ilk. Every time I try and take the test, every question throws me into an agony of indecision because I would absolutely do at least three of the choices depending on the circumstances. Without circumstances, I have no clue what I would do and pick something at random out of desperation.
Then the test slaps an inflexible label on your forehead, and you’re pigeon-holed.
Surely humans in all their richness and varied experiences and thoughts deserve better and are above such classifications.
Or I am just a unclassifiable weirdo.
I’m an ENTJ, and was legitimately curious about book suggestions for my mbti. The suggestion I was given- “Still Life” by Louise Penny- is actually my favorite book of all time! *insert Homer Simpson “woohoo!” here*
Protagonist? No type listed for me.
I am an INFJ and To Kill a Mockingbird is my very favorite book since I first read it years ago!!! Thank you, Billie