2021 Intentional By Grace Reading Challenge

Are you ready to grow your reading life in 2021? Join us for the 2021 Intentional By Grace Reading Challenge and find like-minded women to inspire you and spur you on toward your reading goals this year!

It’s HERE! The 2021 Intentional By Grace Reading Challenge is ready and boy am I excited to get it into your hands!!

Reading is one of my favorite ways to spend my time, and it’s made even more fun with our reading community here at Intentional By Grace.

Every year for the past several years I’ve released a reading challenge for Christian women that will help grow their faith, and expand their love for God and others.

It is my very favorite thing to put together each year, and with the help of the Intentional By Grace Reading Challenge community, I’ve put together a brand new line up of reading challenge categories that are sure to make this your best reading year yet!

The Intentional By Grace Reading Challenge is meant to be a challenge. I want you to stretch yourself. I want you to reach outside your comfort zone and go a little deeper in your walk with the Lord.

I love what this participant had to say about the 2020 Reading Challenge!

I completed Level 2! At the beginning of the year I was thinking I might be able to finish Level one (because while I am a reader I’ve never been a very diverse one and I’ve only recently gotten into nonfiction) but I’ve read more this year than I ever have before! This challenge has led me to many great books that I would have never chosen myself. Can’t wait til next year’s challenge!
-Sarah O.

This testimony truly captures why I put this reading challenge together each year.

How does the Intentional By Grace Reading Challenge work?

It’s super simple to participate.

You just need to pop your email address into the box below to sign up for the 2021 Intentional By Grace Reading Challenge. Everything you need to know to make the most of the 2021 Reading Challenge will be sent straight to your inbox.

Sign Up for the 2021 Intentional By Grace Reading Challenge

Download the Reading Challenge Printable Pack

Once you confirm your email address, you will be able to download the reading challenge printable pack, as well as gain access to our private Facebook community group.

Included in the Reading Challenge Printable Pack:

2021 Reading Challenge Printable with Levels and Categories
Blank 2021 Reading Challenge Printable for recording books read (or you can use it to create your own categories!)
Reading log for each level of the challenge
Printable book marks for each level (new this year!)
Book Review page to help keep track of the books in more detail
and more!

Choose Your Challenge Level

This is my second year to do the reading challenge for Christian women. Last year I read maybe 6 books. This year I have pretty much completed Level 1 (13 books)! I must say that I have loved many of the things I have read, but this one has transformed how I listen to what God is saying. I am super excited about His word in a new way!
-Joannah

The 2021 Christian Women’s Reading Challenge is composed of 3 different book lists, which you are meant to move through progressively. This means you will need to set your goal at the beginning of the year, and then set your pace accordingly.

Level 1 consists of 13 books which sets a pace of 1 book every 4 weeks.
Level 2 consists of 26 books which sets a pace of 1 book every 2 weeks.
Level 3 consists of 52 books which sets a pace of 1 book every week.

When setting your reading goals for the challenge, be sure to actually… well, challenge yourself.

Even if you don’t actually reach the goal you set, set your goal high so you make the investment and challenge yourself to read more. You may surprise yourself like Joannah and read more than you thought you could.

Brainstorm Your Books and Get to Reading

You’ll notice that this reading challenge is made up of various book categories.

Start with Level 1.

Choose the books from each category in this level, and read them in any order, checking them off as you complete them.

Once you complete Level 1, move on to Level 2. So on and so forth.

Again, set your reading goal at the beginning of the year, so you can pace yourself throughout the year.

Finally, I want to point out that this reading challenge includes “a book of the New Testament” and “a book of the Old Testament.”

I wanted to include these as reading categories because I think there is value in simply reading the Bible. Sure, we should study His word, but sometimes, we should just curl up with a cup of tea or coffee and just BE with Him.

So, these are two categories that I hope you’re as excited about as I am. Plus, if you get super creative, you can use other books of the Bible for some of the other categories, like say…a book of poetry (Psalms anyone?).

How Has the Reading Challenge Impacted You?

I teach full time and have two boys, and used to read all the time. I figured that I’d get back into it more when my kids were older. I am so glad I stumbled onto this challenge- I realized I had a ton of time to read, but wasn’t using it wisely. This has been a huge eye opener!
– Kristin

What I am loving most about this challenge is that it is forcing me to read books I would not normally be drawn to read. I tend to get in a rut and read the same kinds of books all the time.
-Jeanne

I just finished my 32nd book for the year! My goal was just 13 books. I’m so happy I’ve discovered new to me authors and categories I would not have normally pursued. Thank you for this challenge!
-Sunshyne

I completed my 13 books for Level 1. This was my first year and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. I look forward to next year and maybe progressing to Level 2. We’ll see.
-Pat

Psssst! If you’re one of those that say, “But I don’t have any TIME to read,” we’ve got 15 ways to make more time for reading here just for you. Go ahead and read it then come back. I’ll wait.

Connect with other readers in our Facebook Group

Once you sign up, you can join our private Facebook group. Joining the discussion with other like-minded women who love reading and want to encourage one another will definitely help you be more successful in completing the 2021 Reading Challenge

This is a great place to get book recommendations, as well as share what you are reading to inspire others.

I want to thank you all for all the book recommendations! My “to read” list has grown by leaps and bounds! I am looking forward to next year and hope that I can do a better job sharing what I have read to add to some of your lists! Blessings!
-Nicole

Book Suggestions

Need some help getting started? I’ve got a ton of book collection posts to help you with ideas on what books you should read. These are books I have read along with books recommended by friends of the challenge.

Click here to access them all, or choose one of the direct links to a topic of choice below.