Jaks Dormand has just graduated college. As much as she wants to become a "real adult," there is something pretty tempting about spending the summer hanging out with friends, decorating her room, and letting all the music she suddenly understands change her life, album by album. Told in an essay and journal format, I Found a Way to Soak Up the Sun is a love letter to Northern California and an examination of the complexities of friendship, love, sex, and family, all from the head of a girl whose room is as messy (and as organized, if you know where to look) as her thoughts. Not the final edit, I would appreciate your feedback.