How many times have you marched so far this month? Seems like there’s always a reason to gather and walk during Pride, but save some time for yourself too. You’ll want to reflect, rest, and read these great books about living your best Pride month…

No doubt, you’ve thought once or twice about stepping away from society as it is and moving somewhere more accepting. So read Qtopia: A Memoir of Love, Land, and Liberation by Juda Bennett (University of Wisconsin Press, $18.95), the story of doing exactly that, and how it turned out.

Back in the ‘70s, Bennett fled the suburbs and all it represented and went “back to the land,” to a commune named Lavender Hill. Some of the places he’d lived before then had promised way more than they delivered, but Lavender Hill was different: more rural, more open, more Queer, much better. But you know all good things must end, and that includes “queer utopia.” The only thing left was to reenter the mainstream — a journey unto itself, and one worth reading.

Speaking of memoirs, in Gay Mormon Dad by Chad Anderson, with art by Remy Burke (Graphic Mundi, $21.99), you’ll read about Anderson’s life as a husband (to a woman), a father, and a man who seemingly had it all — but it wasn’t right, and he wasn’t happy. He was Gay, but admitting it — telling his family and his church — could mean the loss of everything he loved. It’s a story that may be familiar to you, in some way, and it’s a quick read.

For most of his life, Joseph Osmundson dreamed about getting pregnant and having a family. The former didn’t happen; as for the latter, as he writes in his memoir, Spawning Season: An Experiment in Queer Parenthood (Bloomsbury, $27.99) the journey for a Gay man to become a father can have plenty of roadblocks.

When two women approach Osmundson to be a sperm donor, it appears that his ultimate dreams are about to come true. Things go swimmingly — until race enters the conversation. Are the words “donor” and “dad” the same? Read this powerful book, and think about it.

And finally, if parenthood as a Gay person is something that’s a case of “maybe later,” then Good Morning Moon: A Snapshot of an American Family by Brad Gooch (Harper, $29.00) you should find this. It’s the story of late-in-life love, surrogacy, and identity as Gooch learns about himself while learnomg to be a good dad. This is a great for older fathers, and anyone who’s on the parental fence later in life.

If these aren’t enough for you, or if you’re looking for something different for Pride, then head to your favorite bookstore or library and ask the staff there to help you find your next best read. And happy Pride!