June is Pride Month which means that it’s time to celebrate. Young adults can get a headstart on learning about the LGBTQ+ community by reading various books with main characters that are LGBTQ.

YA Books With LGBTQ+ Main Characters

In most books, the queer characters are often downgraded to the best friend role. However, it’s important today, more than ever, for these characters to be the main roles, the heroes, heroines of the stories.

There have been quite a few new books that were published in the past year with LGBTQ+ main characters. Below are 3 of the ones that you should read for yourself or give to your young adults and kids, not just during Pride.

1. Camp, by L.C. Rosen

All of the characters in the book Camp by L.C. Rosen are queer. This book sheds light on some of the stereotypes that a lot of gay teenagers face on a regular basis. Randy is one of the main characters who loves spending his summers at Camp Outland, which is a camp specifically for queer teenagers. That is where he feels like his true self. However, he ends up falling in love with a boy who is interested in guys that act straight so he tries to reinvent himself into a more masculine role. He has to decide whether he wants to give up his love for nail polish, show tunes, and more.

2. Elatsoe, by Darcie Little Badget

In Elatsoe, a murder mystery with some fantasy, the main character, Ellie, is an asexual. The book has a lot of magic, mysticism, and more including monsters that live freely amongst the humans. Ellie has the gift of raising the spirits of dead animals. When her cousin is murdered, she is set on proving that the incident wasn’t just a car accident, but something more.

3. The Black Flamingo, by Dean Atta

This book won the 2020 Stonewall Award. It’s a semi-autobiographical novel about a teenage boy named Michael who is from London and is mixed-race Black and gay. Michael doesn’t quite know where he fits in until he discovers the Drag Society. It’s about figuring out who you are, fitting in, living your true self, and anti-racism.

After the revival of the old-school wallpaper, it’s only fair that the granny-chic interior design would also resurface. This time, however, with a new and exciting spin. The classic “matchy-matchy decorating” style where you pick one dainty pattern and apply it to multiple pieces within a room is getting a modern makeover, mixing the new with the old.

Granny-Chic Interior Originated in 18th-Century Europe

Although many continue to associate granny-chic interiors with preppy, traditional all-American decors, the history of the design goes back to 18th-century Europe when intentional coordinating and intricate details really took off in the world of interior design. Allover patterns are gradually resurfacing both in their old-school and forward-thinking applications because of their timelessness. Whatever the base, an all-over pattern approach is the safest way to guarantee decor cohesion. It’s a classic for a reason.

It’s Visually Calming and Rhythmic

No matter how far and bold you’re willing to go with your granny-chic interior, you’re still bound to feel its calming presence. Matching the curtains or wallpaper to the upholstery is a cozy combination that always wins, says Chloe Wener of Redmond Aldrich Design. It’s where nostalgia meets the present day. Granny-inspired interiors, as the name suggests, are a nod to your grandmother’s home — a place of fond memories and matching cushions. By interpreting it into your own home, you’re also bringing an emotional connection to your place.

The Comeback Kid of the Design World

Judging by designers Tom Scheerer and Ashe Leandro, granny-chic interiors are here to stay, albeit in a slightly different way than they once looked. While you’re free to go all out on matching designs and textures, you can also take the road less traveled and mix not quite identical patterns to bring a fresh spin on the old concept. You can mix different floral patterns or unite around a common color. There are no rules!