As ryan robertson begins college at ucla, all he wants is to do well in his classes, make some friends, and enjoy his college experience. but he soon learns that working in the adult entertainment industry to support himself and pay for college makes normalcy impossible. the scheduling demands of his profession rule out most extracurricular activities and require constant balancing with his classes. worse, the reactions he encounters when people discover his livelihood make it difficult for him to build friendships or relationships. the elephant is simply too big for the room. ryan lives in a house near campus owned by hal, a gay attorney. his housemates are ted, a hunky marine veteran with post-war baggage; darnell, a fabulous black drag queen with an amazing voice; and ricky, a hard-partying porn star. this colorful crew, ryan's family of choice, provides love and support as he navigates college life and adulthood. their adventures add important dimensions to the story. ryan's heartwarming coming-of-age journey is filled with hilarity, drama, challenges, and growth. he discovers that sometimes, life's most important lessons are learned outside the classroom. open books, closed sets continues the engaging stories introduced in maybe next year and instant adult. content advisory: this book contains adult language and references to pornography, same-sex sexual activities, and recreational drug abuse. it does not contain graphic sex scenes. if it were a movie, it would be rated r. this book may not be suitable for readers under 18.