Do you miss OITNB? Without Spinoff we won’t have a solution, but I can tell you how I did it for a while. After watching it once, twice, three times, four times, five times, I went to a different medicine. I was thirsty not just for Orange is the New Black, but for new stories. It was then that I left for the literary world. And if you don’t know, the show is perfect for that. Many interesting figures from the series have published books, some autobiographical and some not. The fact is, if you want to know more, you should try. It’s incredibly liberating and you see the show differently, more revealing in many ways.
THE PIPER KERMAN’S BOOK
The first tip, of course, is the book by Piper Chapman that started the series. She writes in an easy way that instantly throws you into the story. You will know a lot more about Piper, you will find that Larry is a nice guy, that the world inside a women’s prison is a very interesting microcosm. I devoured the book! Maybe it’s the right time to read it again I miss him. Don’t expect a Piper-Alex relationship like in the series. Remember this is the story told by one side only. What really makes everything delightfully interesting in this regard is Alex’s Book.”
THE CLEARY WOLTERS BOOK
What do they have in common physically? The Glasses, and that ends the comparison between the character Alex Vause and the person who inspired a character, Cleary Wolters. I will be very direct in my opinion, Piper Kerman writes much better, but the book OUT OF ORANGE by Cleary, it sounded more revealing and authentic. The fact is that the two books should not be compared because they speak of different periods in the lives of each one of them. I once suggested that the spinoff should be based on Cleary’s book, I still think it would be a success! Think about this Jenji Kohan, but I imagine it has already occurred to you. While in Piper’s book social content is always at the forefront (and I love it!), Cleary’s focus is on Piper and her personal stories.
The coolest thing about it is that we can analyze everything from both sides! It’s enriching, you who are as much a fan as I am should do this. And it only served to make me even more in love with the series
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK THE COOKBOOK
The big surprise for me was the cookbook released by Jenji Kohan and Tara Herrmann. It’s not very easy to find outside of the US, and it’s expensive, but it was worth it. For me, reading the book, full of new photos and content and being able to experience the flavors of Orange is the New Black, was almost like an experience in another dimension. I loved it all! the most outstanding recipes in the series I recorded a video teaching how to make. Piper’s sandwich is something I can’t get enough of. I’ll put the videos here if you want to learn. I guarantee it’s worth it.
THE PIPER’S SANDWICH
CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA
CHICKEN KIEV
OITNB ACTRESSES’ BOOKS
There are great options for those who want to know a little more about some of the actresses. There are really shocking stories, like Kate Mulgrew, in her book Born With Teeth. The actress’s story is as interesting as her character Red (Galina Reznikov).
Kate Mulgrew
Mulgrew became pregnant while acting in the lead role of Mary Ryan on Ryan’s Hope. “I was single, alone, and flooded with terror. But I knew I would have that baby,” Mulgrew said. She placed the baby up for adoption three days after giving birth in 1977. Over the years, Mulgrew searched for the daughter she placed for adoption. “The first man who wanted to explore this with me,” said Mulgrew, “was Tim Hagan, who later became my husband.” In 1998, Mulgrew received a call from the daughter she had placed for adoption. Her name is Danielle, and she had started searching for Mulgrew a year earlier. In her 2015 memoir Born with Teeth (which refers to Mulgrew having been born with a full set of neonatal teeth), Mulgrew tells of her reunion with her daughter in 2001.
Selenis Leyva
Selenis Leyva is the co-author, with her sister Marizol, of the book My Sister: How One Sibling’s Transition Changed Us Both (Bold Type Books, March 2020). If you like the Gloria character as much as I do, you’re certainly a Selenis fan too, and open your heart together with her sister in this book.
(Amazon) When Orange Is the New Black and Diary of a Future President star Selenis Leyva was young, her hardworking parents brought a new foster child into their warm, loving family in the Bronx. Selenis was immediately smitten; she doted on the baby, who in turn looked up to Selenis and followed her everywhere. The little boy became part of the family. But later, the siblings realized that the child was struggling with their identity.
As Marizol transitioned and fought to define herself, Selenis and the family wanted to help, but didn’t always have the language to describe what Marizol was going through or the knowledge to help her thrive. In My Sister, Selenis and Marizol narrate, in alternating chapters, their shared journey, challenges, and triumphs. They write honestly about the issues of violence, abuse, and discrimination that transgender people and women of color–and especially trans women of color–experience daily. And they are open about the messiness and confusion of fully realizing oneself and being properly affirmed by others, even those who love you.
Profoundly moving and instructive, My Sister offers insight into the lives of two siblings learning to be their authentic selves. Ultimately, theirs is a story of hope, one that will resonate with and affirm those in the process of transitioning, watching a loved one transition, and anyone taking control of their gender or sexual identities.
Laura Prepon
And there’s Laura Prepon, who’s already released several books on how to eat healthy. She also has a youtube channel about this and recently launched a line of kitchen products. This side linked to food, well-being and health may have been born in Laura long before the actress. It comes from her relationship with her mother in the kitchen. What I would like to show you, for those who are unaware, is Laura’s last book, where there is a great autobiographical portion.
More about Orange is the New Black
- 10 Years of OITNB – What Can We Expect From This Anniversary?
- Interview with one of the Inmates of the OITNB Opening!
- What Actress Danielle Brooks Think About Taystee On OITNB?
- I Got Addicted to Orange is the New Black in Season Five
- Orange is the New Black Season 1 Trivia. Did you Know This?
When Laura Prepon first became a mother, she barely recognized herself.
As someone who always loved being prepared, Prepon felt raw, full of stress, and blindsided. She sought out resources to help navigate this huge life transition, but only found books about childcare with almost nothing on the shelves about momcare. So, Laura decided to write the book she was looking for.
(Amazon) You and I, as Mothers: A Raw and Honest Guide to Motherhood is part memoir, part handbook, as Laura digs into her own unconventional upbringing and investigates how it shaped her as a person and as a mother, with intimate stories and never-before-shared anecdotes brought forth in an effort to understand our collective experience as mothers. The book is packed with practical tips for moms of any age, at any stage of motherhood, such as stress reduction techniques, self-care, protecting one’s partnership, asking for help, and getting a global perspective on maternity, and includes a selection of easy and delicious recipes, from ideas for kids-friendly food, to romantic dinner dates, and batch-cooking favorites that will help any parent feed their family.
Laura also interweaves insights and interviews from her “Mom Squad”: an eclectic group of mothers of all ages and professional backgrounds, including a world-renowned survival expert, a top neuroscientist,creator of Orange Is the New Black Jenji Kohan, actress Mila Kunis, author and activist Amber Tamblyn, and chef Daphne Oz—among other inspiring moms, who lend their voices to the much needed conversation of what it means to be a mother.
Unfiltered, honest, and insightful, Laura encourages the reader to acknowledge their challenges, embrace their strengths, and celebrate their victories as we navigate the greatest adventure of all: motherhood.
I would like to remind you that in addition to books, there are many podcasts with the actresses of Orange is the New Black and about Orange is the New Black. I’ve heard several with Piper Kerman, Lavarne Cox, Diane Guerrero, Laura Gómez. I can tell you that these are wonderful stories about each one. Amazingly, many of them could be on OITNB with their real “character”. Perhaps a big part of the success was putting characters and actresses so close to reality. I don’t get tired of praising the series. Maybe one day I’ll be able to bring more actresses and team from Orange to tell a little more about all this. Wouldn’t it be a dream?
Evil Jenji Show 