Cruising the Mediterranean is a travel memoir by Al and Sunny Lockwood, which chronicles their cruise from Amsterdam to Istanbul. Even though I’m not much of a “cruise person,” I really enjoyed reading about Al and Sunny’s cruise and vacation. It was great to see the history and culture of various areas along the Mediterranean through the authors’ eyes.
Each chapter of the book documents a new leg of the Lockwood’s journey. I learned a lot of new details about different places along the Mediterranean, and I particularly enjoyed reading about Ephesus, Turkey, and Athens, Greece. There was something very peaceful about reading the book; it has a calm and relaxing feel. I think that the Lockwoods could write about anything and make it interesting!
You can find Cruising the Mediterranean here.
OAK TREE REVIEWS 
Dear Oak Tree Reviews Representative:
By the way, I am sending a request for bookblogger representation here because the email address didn’t take I am sorry for any inconvenience.
I came across your site via The Book Blogger List website. I can tell that you enjoyed In Memory of Bread by Paul Graham. Anyway, based on your amazing online and social media presence, it is obvious that you take books seriously but enjoy them. Your reviews are thorough and thoughtful. And, you clearly appreciate a variety of books as well as many other aspects related to books. These qualities are admirable ones in a book blogger.
Might I convince you to take a look at my upcoming book, Yes, I Named My Daughter Gaylord Focker. So Focking What! (Over 1,000 Real Names of Real People, All Weird) by Joseph Joel, no kids. Don’t want little sh*theads on my floor. I was just kidding! It releases as an eBook September 1. It is a quick read at just over 11,000 words that will be worth every minute that you will choose to spend with it.
Thanks for considering this request. I look forward to hearing from you,
Joseph Joel
josephjoelauthor@gmail.com
Here is a part of Yes, I Named My Daughter Gaylord Focker. So Focking What! (Over 1,000 Real Names of Real People, All Weird) by Joseph Joel, no kids. Don’t want little sh*theads on my floor. I was just kidding!:
To begin with, let me be clear: this book is unusual and very, very funny because it is real. But, it is maybe the world’s first unbook. That is, there is little narration. It is a book of lists. You will laugh, but there are few bona fide jokes unless you think that it is funny for a parent to name his kid, “Dick Head.”
Now, consider this information:
Outraged customer ahead of me in a store. Unreasonable business associate. Nothing that a good chuckle can’t cure.
If you pay attention, you can learn a lot about people. Some of it is obvious. Some of it is bizarre.
Now, about the obvious: Everybody has a name, and everybody can relate to names. As a person who talks but especially listens a lot, I run into unusual and quirky names often. But still, this book has taken most of my life to write. Anyway, I write down the person’s name and verify it later regarding getting the information correct in the first place. No name is incorrectly reported in my fierce quest for accuracy.
I have learned that there is not a person alive who does not have or know somebody with a name that is atypical or weird. The waitress at one of my favorite diners in town is sure to remind me that her name is “Bippie,” and if I get it wrong, I may find a fake fingernail in my lentil soup. Not really. She does a professional job!
I met this wonderful woman named “Luna.” Her whole life, she was tormented by this first name. But worse, she hated that she was not given a middle name. While growing up, she would pin imaginary middle names on her bedroom curtain quite often. And, when she turned 21, she legally gave herself the middle name of “Delight.”
Now, the pronunciations may not be what some people might expect, but the spelling is what matters. For instance, “Moron” may have a Spanish or even a French pronunciation that we would not initially expect which is better than the “I am a dumbass” related pronunciation. But, the spelling is the same.
A part of the inspiration for the book is a custom-made license plate that I saw while walking on a lonely street in a city where I resided at the time. It said, “MORON.” Is that how that person wanted to be labeled and known? What was the thinking behind giving one’s car, and hence oneself, such a name? Or, was thinking even possible in this case? I, on the other hand, do not want to look stupid. Silly, outrageous, sarcastic, thorough, and funny are much more my style.
And, it was not long ago that I found a sign outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that said “Shit Creek.” Does anybody wanna go fishing?
Now, what inspired this whole book even more, however, is my love of movies. I saw Meet the Parents, in which the main character, played by Ben Stiller, is named “Gaylord Focker.” I learned that Jim Carrey came up with this name only for one of the producers to learn that there actually are three Gaylord Fockers in America, or at least this notion is what he believed. (I do not think that he researched this suspicion well.) In fact, the producer was wrong, or at least, I see no evidence of it. Nobody really has or had that name in real life. Everybody makes mistakes, even producers of hilarious movies. He will remain nameless. It is only fair. Ha ha!
Anyway, it was just too much¬¬¬──the combination of the name “Gaylord Focker” and seeing bizarre names on an infrequent basis in my social life and business life──that propelled me into the huge research project that evolved into this delightful, irreverent, and funny, but even somewhat educational, book. Not too educational, however. Let’s be real. This book is the paper or computer wire version of the fart. It is nothing groundbreaking, brilliant, or special. It doesn’t even smell good.
Still, you can believe me: you will see people in a different light when you are done with this book. And, you will realize that celebrities are not the only people who curse their children with impossible-to-live-with names although weird names related to celebrities are listed in this book as well.
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