Bøger af Mark Sampson

The days are long in deepest rural France. Longer still in winter when those who don't hibernate or migrate have largely to make their own entertainment. Each season, though, has its rewards and its own distinct personality. Mark Sampson has selected some of the best of La Vie en Straw, his long-running blog, and put them together to create an entertaining picture of daily life as it evolves throughout the year in a beautiful, largely unspoilt part of the world. With a teenage daughter growing up fast, a coterie of domestic animals and a wife working improbably long hours as a complementary health therapist, the book paints a humorous and intimate picture of family life in an often perplexing foreign land. From deep within the house of straw that's familiar to viewers of Channel 4's Grand Designs comes a form of thoughtful reality TV - without the cameras.

It's July 2003. A tropical heat wave is raging and old people are dropping like flies in Paris. The Sampsons move from their happy home into a caravan that thinks it's a sauna. In 12 months they must build a house of straw on terrain as rocky as their practical credentials... To anyone who struggles to pitch a tent, the prospect of building a grand design of straw bales - in France Profonde - could be somewhat unsettling. Some will tell you that building their own home is an enjoyable and rewarding experience; Mark Sampson will tell you it was hellish. Based on his journal of building the house seen on frequent re-runs of Channel 4's Grand Designs, this is a darkly comic account of a year of living uncomfortably close to the edge. Less about the technical aspects of construction, Bloody Murder is more about the de-construction of family life in the face of a looming deadline, a shrinking budget, capricious conditions and a motley cast of tradesmen. Laugh, cry and wonder why.

You're planning to take the plunge and invest in your dream: a property and perhaps a life in France. How can you avoid making crucial mistakes? This book will take you step by step through the process by addressing the essential questions you need to ask both yourself and French professionals, such as: -Should I buy a house in France as an investment? -What are my prospects for finding work?-How do I go about opening a bank account?-Can I obtain a loan in France to buy the house?-Are there any rights of way attached to the land?-Does the house or land come with the necessary planning permission?-What should I do about the inheritance laws?-How do I go about letting the house?Benefit from Mark Sampson's experience as he guides you through the questions you need to ask about what sort of house to buy, where to look, what's involved in the contractual process and what to do once you've bought your house. Learn at every stage of the way what's vital to be aware and wary of, including relevant French laws and customs, and changes for British citizens brought about by Brexit.Key questions and a plethora of helpful phrases are translated into French, making this an essential purchase to steer you clear of the pitfalls and help you make the right choices when buying a house in France.

The lives of Eun-Young, a former Korean "comfort woman," and Michael, a troubled young Canadian ESL teacher, become intertwined through love, conflict, and history. Their stories collide when Michael falls in love with a woman named Jin, who challenges stereotypes of race and gender and bridges the past with the present.

Professor Philip Sharpe is having a bad day when he appears on a live televised debate. But things will only get worse when, flustered on air, he makes some wildly inappropriate remarks. The "slip" goes viral and Philip's life and marriage go into a tailspin. His life unravelling, Philip hatches a scheme he hopes will put it all back together.