why am i doing this
Iām not huge on New Yearās resolutions. In general, I find the holiday is pointless but Iām into the idea of wearing sequins and getting carpal tunnel from skipping through everybodyās year-in-review Instagram stories.
Personally, the only new yearās resolution I make is my reading goal (which is 32 this yearšŗšŖ©), but this past year was full of a lot of changes for me, so whatās one more?
In 2022, I read 30 books, graduated college, turned 21, moved to the Bay Area and started grad school. I also started using starface pimple patches, which has been a huge slay for my acne, but a huge loss for my sanity because everyday Iām confronted with another person asking me why I have stickers on my face. (iām just a teenage girl with acne!! leave me be š§š»āāļø)
I expected 2022 to be adjacent to commonplace. I knew that there were going to be big changes i.e.: graduating college, but I didnāt think my life would change as much as it did. The thought of going somewhere with an unknown parking situation used to give me hives, so you could imagine that moving from SoCal to NorCal wreaked absolute havoc in my life. But, I think 2023 should be about embracing change, which is a shocking concept and supercool thing to say, I KNOW. However, one of my goals for this year is to overthink inconsequential things, like starting a substack, less.
So, here goes nothing! My šøvisionšø for this substack is to force myself to write things that are interesting and fun to me. It might be personal, it might be stupid and it will definitely involve my favorite books.
whatās on my shelf for 2023
As I said before, my goal is to read 32 books this year. In general, Iām a romance girlie. Emily Henry could write āI hate Bella Arnoldā on a piece of toilet paper and Iād absolutely love it. My favorite book is āBeach Readā and Iām into any romance that has a prominent plot that is separate from the love story. I find that the best authors who do that are Emily Henry, Tia Williams and Beth OāLeary. But, Iām also into young adult books, womenās fiction and literary fiction.
So far, in 2023 Iāve read āOne True Lovesā by TJR and āStuck with Youā by Ali Hazelwood. I thought both were meh. In general, Iām not a huge TJR fan because, as a Latina, I feel uncomfy with the whole āCarrie Soto is Backā situation. As for Ali Hazelwood, I need her to exit whatever contract sheās in that forces her to make everything she writes ReyLo fan fiction.
Right now, Iām reading āThe Road Tripā by Beth OāLeary, which I anticipate to be one of my higher rated 2023 books because Iāve loved everything else Iāve read by this author. In 2022, I read āThe No-Show,ā and cried so hard I almost threw up. <3
whatās giving me stress pimples this week
I got my hair dyed a few days ago for the first time. My hair stylist slayed but Iām having trouble adapting because it was a semi-impulsive decision. Iāve been wanting burgundy hair and thinking about it since the fall. But, I was scared to dye my entire head in fear that my curl pattern would be toast, so I just got highlights and now I look like Draculaura from monster high </3. Again, itās my fault for thinking I could completely change my defining feature and not feel different, but itās also the reason for the gargantuan pimple on my chin. Another thing causing me strife is that Iām DRIVING back to the Bay this weekend. Iām traumatized from my drive down at the beginning of break because it was raining and insanely windy. I manifested that this drive would be less problematic but the forecast (and universe) doesnāt want me to be happy. </3
about me!
My name is Bella Arnold. Iām 21 and a first-year grad student at UC Berkeley. Iām studying journalism (specifically narrative writing) and my goal is to cover arts, culture and the literary industry for a magazine like Vulture, The New Yorker or Teen Vogue (or anyone that will hire me iām literally begging). Right now, Iām also working for the California Reporting Program at the Investigative Reporting Program. As a data journalist for CRP I investigate police use-of-force in California.
I do NOT have a thyroid because I had cancer when I was 14! šš¦ššš„³
(iām fine now)
I am Costa Rican and from Westminster, California which is basically a city full of freeway entrances and exits and fantastic food. My god complex from growing up in SoCal is at an all time high (dangerous) after moving to the Bay. I have 3 brothers who are 24, 12 and 10.
I scored high on my reading benchmarks in elementary school which absolutely destroyed any chance of having a personality trait beyond being academically driven (and loving Michael Cera). Iāve always loved reading and writing but I never thought that those interests would be something I could pursue professionally. I actually went to p*rforming a*ts high school, but when I got to college at CSULB (Go Beach!), I decided to take a chance on a different field. I had 0 journalism experience, but felt ballsy enough to change my entire major on a hunch that I might like it and I absolutely fell in love!
all opinions expressed in this substack are my own and not affiliated with any publications I have worked for/currently work for!
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