They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but have you ever judged someone by their books? The books a person chooses to fill their shelves with can reveal a great deal about them, including their interests, hobbies, lifestyle, and more. Whether it’s a chunky fantasy novel or a dusty old copy of Pride and Prejudice, the books we choose to have in our lives offer a window into our souls.
In this article, we explore how your reading habits reflect your personality type and we will reveal what your choice of book says about you.
So, whether you are curious about what your room full of romance novels says about you or you just want to find out why you love true crime novels so much (don’t worry, everyone does), then you are in the right place.
Drawing from a collection of psychological studies, literature trends, and just everyday observations, we have created a short personality test to try out, so you can see exactly what your choice or book reveals about you.
Books aren’t just for filling shelves or keeping you company on holiday—they’re so much more. They help you make sense of everyday life, offer a break from the daily grind, and can even help you work through your personal challenges by putting them into words you can relate to. The books you choose reflect what you’re going through and who you are, shaped by both your conscious decisions and your deeper, subconscious traits.
Your book preferences aren’t random – they mirror the way you think, how you feel, and the way you interact with the world around you. Over the years, psychologists have developed frameworks to help you better understand our personality types, and these can be a powerful tool for exploring why you gravitate towards certain genres or reading styles.
Below is one such test – the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI test can offer invaluable insights into how your inner traits influence what you read:
Here’s a glimpse of how different personality traits may influence book choices:
Introverts (I) may prefer solitary, introspective reading, with an interest in things like philosophical novels, fantasy epics, or character-driven fiction.
Extraverts (E) often enjoy contemporary fiction, memoirs, or books with humor and social themes.
Intuitives (N) lean toward abstract, big-picture stories like speculative fiction, sci-fi, or metaphysical narratives.
Sensors (S) are more likely to enjoy grounded stories, for example, historical fiction, detective novels, or real-world memoirs.
Thinkers (T) may gravitate toward analytical non-fiction, philosophy, or hard science fiction, valuing logic and structure.
Feelers (F) are more drawn to romantic fiction, emotional memoirs, or books about human relationships.
Judgers (J) might prefer structured, goal-oriented books like productivity guides or classic novels with clear arcs.
Perceivers (P) may enjoy spontaneous exploration, jumping between genres, or reading unconventional narratives.
This personality test isn’t designed to put you into a box – it is designed to help you gain a deeper understanding of why you choose the books you do and why they resonate with you.
Now it's time to take a look at what your choice of book says about you as a person. Find your favourite genres below and see if you agree with what it says about you.
Reader Archetype: The Creative Soul
Key Traits: Empathetic, introspective, emotionally intelligent, open to experience
Literacy fiction often explores morality, human relationships, and character psychology delving into the motives, desires, and weaknesses that drive the characters. Readers typically drawn to fiction tend to enjoy exploring morality, seeking to better understand both themselves and the world around them through the pages of their books.
Reader Archetype: The World-Builder
Key Traits: Creative, idealistic, imaginative, open-minded, often introverted
Fantasy readers often turn to their books to escape life, leaving daily life behind for a few hours in favour of vivid worlds filled with creative freedom. Fans of fantasy tend to be very open-minded, accepting, and down for exploring a myriad of new opportunities.
Reader Archetype: The Futuristic Visionary
Key Traits: Analytical, future-oriented, curious, logical, innovative
Readers of sci-fi books are curious, forever seeking answers to the questions that most others don’t even consider. With a vivid imagination combined with an analytical way of thinking, science fiction readers enjoy peering beyond the veil and solving problems that fans of other genres might avoid.
Reader Archetype: The Investigator
Key Traits: Observant, cerebral, strategic, detail-focused, introverted
Fans of mysteries and thrillers love a complex plot, one that will test them and push their investigative skills to the limit. Mystery and thriller fans enjoy solving problems using an organised, logical approach, while still retaining the ability to think outside of the box when needed.
Reader Archetype: The Idealist
Key Traits: Warm, emotionally intuitive, hopeful, relationship-oriented, empathetic
Romance readers are the dream chasers, they are the people who will always see the best in people. People who enjoy reading romance novels, whether that be Pride and Prejudice or It Ends With Us, tend to be attuned to personal relationships and social dynamics, approaching every situation with a sense of optimism and fervour.
Reader Archetype: The Thrill-Seeker
Key Traits: Thrill-seeking, curious, emotionally resilient, introspective
Horror fans are the thrill-seekers, they are the ones with a hunger for the unknown. Horror literature holds an appeal to those with a fascination with fear, the subconscious, and sometimes even the taboo. Long-term fans of horror can often develop a strong constitution, both for the physical and psychological trauma that their books address.
Reader Archetype: The Studier
Key Traits: Reflective, curious about the past, empathetic, appreciative of context
Historical fiction readers find their release losing themselves in the stories of the past. Historical fiction draws an audience that places a high value on culture, tradition, and, of course, history; often seeking to connect stories with their own lives and experience a taste of what life used to be like.
Reader Archetype: The Realist
Key Traits: Practical, realistic, goal-oriented, knowledge-seeking
Fans of non-fiction are grounded individuals, preferring content based firmly on reality and seeking to gain a better understanding of the world around them. Whether seeking insight, expertise, experience, or personal growth, non-fiction readers often find themselves striving to further themselves and the world around them.
Reader Archetype: The Witness
Key Traits: Empathetic, inquisitive, reflective, interpersonally focused
People who enjoy reading biographies and memoirs tend to have a fascination with real people and real stories. They use their reading time to reflect, observing the journeys that others have taken and learning from them to build a better understanding for themselves.
Reader Archetype: The Optimist
Key Traits: Growth-oriented, motivated, introspective, optimistic
Readers of self-help books strive to be the best versions of themselves, whether through self-discovery or personal development, achieving a healthier, more fulfilled life for themselves and those around them is the ultimate goal.
Reader Archetype: The Aficionado
Key Traits: Emotionally adept, artistic, abstract thinker, introspective
Finally, we have the poets, these are the readers attuned to the finer subtleties of literature. Able to read between the lines, readers of poetry are often adept in the finer nuances of emotion, being able to translate the meaning of their reading material in ways that are not always considered by others.
Remember, these patterns are just a starting point - they are not rules, and you are never limited to the genres that your personality traits align with. We would always encourage you to explore new genres as they can be a great way to grow as both a reader and as a person. So, whether you are a devout fan of romance novels or a stickler for a juicy crime novel, don’t be afraid to try something new – you might just discover a whole new side to yourself.
So, that concludes our foray into the psychology behind the books you read. Do you agree with your favourite genre and what it says about you? Let us know what yours are and if you agree what it says about you!
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