Book Club: Orange is the New Black – Week 4 (AKA the end!!!)
Hosted by The Book Wheel and Love at First Book
Welcome to Week 4!!!!!
Read and discuss the entire boooooooook!
Congrats on finishing Orange is the New Black! If you’re here, you’ve totally read the whole book, and whether or not you joined in the beginning or just now, let’s talk O is the New B!
Please go ahead and start (or continue) the conversation! Remember to come back to continue to respond to others who comment throughout the week (and month)! Write as much or as little as you please, and don’t forget to link your own blog if you have one!
Woo hoo! Since you have reached the end, you can post about the ENTIRE BOOK!! Spoilers totally permitted because, hey, you’ve earned it!
Haven’t finished O is the New B? Come back when you’re done and join in the conversation!
Thanks for reading,
rscaglione.wordpress.com 
Con Air????? WTF is that? It sounds TERRIBLE!!! Scary, dangerous, and horrific. Yuck. And then, wow, the differences between jail and prison was just immense!
I’m glad though that Piper seems to be working for a board to help women in jail. I actually plan on contacting some of the prison/jail book-related places to see if they need books. Since I’m moving back to FL soon I have a bunch of books to give before I leave. I was going to donate them to Goodwill or something but maybe I can donate them to a prison/jail that’s local in VA/DC area.
All in all, I liked the book. I really appreciate how Piper gave us a ton of jail/prison references in the back. It makes me want to DO something!
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If my life was different (ie not pregnant and working full time) I’d consider going into some of the local jails and teaching reading, since I know that there are some volunteer programs that do that (my grandpa did it for awhile). Maybe some day!
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I’ve always wanted to work with the prison system. I did Teen Court for years, then worked gathering research about the horrors of the private prison system, and applied for a job as a jail librarian while in school. But, my husband is afraid I’m too forgiving and will end up taking people in 🙂
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As much as I enjoy watching Lockup on TV, I don’t think my place to help is inside jail/prison itself. I’d rather donate money/items to help or help on the outside. I’m going to look into some of the orgs to see what I can do.
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I kept thinking of Nicholas Cage and his movie, Con-Air, when she mentioned that 🙂
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Me too. Is Con Air on Netflix?
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I have no idea, but I would be willing to bet yes.
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I’ll check. . .
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I think this part made me happiest- FINALLY Piper was experiencing something a bit more like prison. I know, not exactly nice, but I think having a taste at the end of how hard it could have been made her even more thankful for being released. I found the information on Con Air and the time spent at the different facilities really fascinating.
I still can’t get over how different the show and the book are, but now after finishing it they really had to do something, as it wasn’t exactly ready for a straight-to-shoot series. While I doubt she’s often recognized, I’d be a little anxious if I was the real Piper about being accused of things that happened on the fictional rendition.
Thanks so much for hosting! This was my first virtual book club and I really enjoyed it!
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Christine,
Hahaha! You are happy that she experienced crappy prison? I love it! That totally made me smile bc I know exactly what you mean.
Oh my gosh, I never even thought about the real Piper being accused of fictional Piper things. . . like in the final scene of the show. . . interesting thought!
I’m so glad you joined in! Allison and I host book club every other month, with it being on the opposite person’s blog. So that means since this month (Nov) I hosted it on my blog, the next book club will be in January on Allison’s blog (book will be announced in Dec). It works well for us this way because we both host, but one person is the main “hoster” for the month. Hopefully we’ll read another book you’re interested in for Jan!
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It works really well because Rebecca’s month has been falling furing my finals, so it’s a good system 🙂
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I didn’t feel overall that the book was particularly eventful. And yet, I can just imagine that the slightest things happening would leave me feeling completely helpless.
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You know, I agree with you. That might be why I feel it’s kind of “social experiment-like” as opposed to a crazy story. Even though the story may not be the most crazy exciting thing ever, I don’t know how I would have dealt! Still super intense!
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I have so many things to say. Most of it’s good, but the main thing that bugs me is that she spent sooooo much time talking about Martha Stewart. I mean, mentioning her possible placement there was fine, but she talked about her alllllll the time. Regardless, here are the things I’m glad she talked about:
– Her adorable birthday party
– The Vaseline-behind-the-ears tip
– That she cried when the Sox won the 2004 World Series because I know exactly where I was (especially when the beat the Yankees in Game 7 to get there) and it was a BIG DEAL.
– Her Grandma dying and how it hard it was being locked up.
– That you can be sent to solitary for alleging sexual misconduct.
– Kids day
– The crappy re-entry programs
– This sentence: “Lack of empathy lies at the heart of every crime.”
– “Real jail” and reconciling with Nora, so to speak
All in all, I loved the book. There are a few things that I wish she had expanded on just because she had the platform to do so (sexual misconduct, mistreatment, etc.) but because this was her memoir, I’m not holding it against her.
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I thought about the Vaseline behind the ears tip this morning actually! It’s cold now, so it’s getting drier and I wondered if non-convicts do that ever just to stay moisturized on hikes or something.
Is it terrible for me to be kind of glad that Grandma died while she was locked up? Of course I NEVER wanted Grandma to die, but it was almost like it was the first taste of REAL that Piper seemed to experience.
Kids day was awesome, though!
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I’m going to ask my Colorado hiking friends whether they do that or not. And if not, it can be my prison tip to them.
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Love it! Because it sounds like it would be a tip for many ocassions.
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I can’t spell occasions. 😛
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I was very glad to reach the end and find out that Piper is doing something to help improve all of the problems she observed in the prison system. I found the completely inadequate education for re-entering society and the inability of women in the prison system to effectively report sexual abuse particularly depressing. Like you Rebecca, I’ll definitely be looking to donate to some of the bookish prison programs she mentioned.
I didn’t share the feeling other people had of being glad when Piper had it rough, but I did appreciate that she clearly realized how thoughtless and harmful her crime was because of spending time in the prison system. At the same time, I can’t help feeling sorry for her for having to serve a prison sentence, especially with all of the dreadful delay getting started, for a crime she thought she had left behind her. I think she deserves some credit for having been smart enough to get out when she did and I don’t think anyone deserves to have to live with an impending prison stay hanging over their head for years.
I think Alison did a great job highlighting some of the most moving moments in the book. I love that we got a glimpse at a part of society that most of us (hopefully!) will never experience. Great book club choice!
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So I looked into a few of those bookish programs and most of them have specific requirements about what they need/want donated. My books won’t work, but maybe I’ll start a collection at some point!
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I’m so glad that you enjoyed the book! I don’t know that I’m glad she had it rough so much as I’m glad she finally realized the severity of the situation AND maybe it being rough at the end is what inspired her to action when she was released. If it was all easy breezy, she may not have had that same inspiration.
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Phew! A little late, but I finished.
This book wasn’t quite as eye opening as I was expecting. I honestly thought she had it pretty easy for being in jail. The ConAir section was more what I would think it would be like. And the fact that she ran into her ex there was pretty crazy. Piper handled that pretty well, I don’t think I would have been able to be anywhere near that woman much less share a cell with her.
When her grandmother died it broke my heart. What a devastating thing to go through losing anyone in general, but to be locked up and unable to say your goodbyes or console your family. Sad.
I enjoyed the book and my first ever book club. Maybe next time I’ll be able to keep up with the rest of you reading machines!
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I agree with you completely. I think it was kind of a cushy prison – not that it was super easy or anything, but it wasn’t as hard. And yeah, ConAir sounded HORRIBLE!
I think being back with her ex was really crazy, too. . . I mean, it’s bad to run into your ex in public, much less in jail when you know she might have sold you out, too! Definitely hard to deal with.
Meaghan, don’t worry about responding “late” – it doesn’t matter! I’ll still be here to read and chat the book with you whenever you do finish! 😀 I think our next book club will be in February, so that we don’t mess with the holiday busy-ness!
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