"Sumer is icumen in"

OK, so it's not summer yet. But it is on the way, and here's a book that celebrates it: "Summer: A User's Guide" by Suzanne Brown (Artisan, 224 pp., $19.95).

The book is clearly a labor of love, a lavishly illustrated and colorful celebration of the short (oh is it short here) warm season. It contains, for instance, recipes for cooking lobster, rules for horseshoes, formulas for margaritas, barbecue recipes, a seashell glossary, and tire-swing instructions. How can you not like a book that explains how to do a handstand underwater? (I'll try it if you will.)

There, feeling warmer already?