Ryan O'Connell

American writer, actor, and producer, best known for creating and starring in the Netflix series Special and for his memoir I'm Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves.

This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.

  1. 1. Just By Looking At Him

    A darkly funny and tender novel about a gay TV writer with cerebral palsy navigating Hollywood’s ableism, a faltering long-term relationship, and a growing dependence on alcohol and validation. After an impulsive affair upends his life, he confronts the fallout at work and at home, unspooling the ways he’s learned to perform desirability to feel worthy. As his career and love life teeter, he’s forced to reckon with the difference between being seen and truly being known. It’s a messy, heartfelt search for self-acceptance, boundaries, and a more honest kind of intimacy.

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