chesilbeach

Camilla announced she was leaving earlier this year. I think she decided to quit while she was ahead, and leave on a high after winning last year. Maybe she had an inkling that changes were afoot and she wanted to leave on her own terms rather than not be asked back like Arlene, Karen and Hayley.

The couples are: I'm a bit disappointed Lilia hasn't got someone younger, as she's had a couple of years without a shot at a final, and I don't hold out much hope for Richard Dunwoody, and I'm glad Anton's got a youngster for a change, but apart from that, no-one particularly stands out for me. Don't know why, but this year looks more promising than last year for some reason, although I'm gonna miss Karen, but at least she and Camilla are going to be giving their opinions on It Takes Two.

Rumours are that Anton is getting a youngster this time, and that Linda Bellingham is with Darren Bennett, but again, just speculation and rumour!

Richard Armitage ... that would be nice.

I think she was in Footballers Wives with Zoe Lucker (I don't generally watch much drama or any soaps on television, so I have to rely on what other people have told me!)

Chris Hollins - BBC Breakfast presenter Rav Wilding - Former policeman, think he might do Crimewatch and also does The ONE show occasionally Ricky Whittle - Hollyoaks actor? Ali Bastion - The Bill actress? Jade Johnson - Olympic long jumper Jo Wood - Ronnie Wood's (Rolling Stones) ex-wife? Apparently Joe Calzaghe has now denied involvement, claims he was joking with his dad.

Hi blithe

Yes, I like to pick up authors I've never read before, as although it's nice to have books/authors recommended, it's sometimes nice to go in blind with no expectations and hopefully find a gem I can then spread the word about

These are the rumours in the papers and on the forums: Adrian Chiles Chris Hollins Joe Calzaghe Lynford Christie Phil Tuffnell Rav Wilding Ricky Groves Ricky Whittle Ali Bastion Jade Johnson Jo Wood Laila Rouass Linda Bellingham Martina Hingis Natalie Cassidy Zoe Lucker But press launch is tomorrow, so will know for definite then.

I'm in two minds about Arlene going. I know the media have made it come across that the BBC got rid of her because she was old, but I think she was the easiest of the judges to replace if they wanted to refresh the programme. I'm not sure that Alesha was the best choice - I'd have preferred Karen since she wasn't going to be dancing anyway, especially as she's a professional judge anyway, so would have added some more technical knowledge to the panel. Having said that, I think Alesha will act more as the "people's voice" on the judging front, as well as bringing her experience of competing. The media do seem to have short memories though - it was less than a year ago they were slating Arlene for complaining about John Sergeant!

Well, it's getting to that time of year when it's time to resurrect this thread! I'm a huge fan of Strictly, and I've just spent the last week migrating my old Strictly blog to a proper, fully fledged, grown-up website, in preparation for the announcement of this years crop of celebrities. The official press launch will be on Tuesday, so I'm on tenterhooks waiting to find out if any of the rumours are true Any other Strictly fans out there?

You could say that! I'm ecstatic that we won, but I have to say, it wasn't as good as the 2005 series. There was just something incredibly special about 2005, and I think it will be a very long time before we see another series with the same atmosphere as that. All credit to Australia though, their second innings, whilst far short of the total they needed, was brilliantly determined, and they cannot be faulted for effort.

Hello Shelley

Stranger Than Fiction

Hey Elgin Sounds like you've got a great weekend ahead of you! Fingers crossed the weather's good

I'm excited but nervous about tomorrow - I've got butterflies in my tummy already. Although I'm absolutely delighted with the England performance today, there will be no celebrations in our house until we know the result!

I don't read a lot of short stories, but I've loved some of the collections I've read. My favourites have been: People I Wanted To Be by Gina Oscher A Thousand Years of Good Prayers by Yiyun Li The Summer Book and The Winter Book by Tove Jansson Good Evening, Mrs Craven by Mollie Panter-Downes I've got a few more on my wishlist, and hope to get some before my holiday later in the year, as short story collections work really well with holidays.

I might have to join Charm in her quest to get you to book 4 more quickly. It's the best book of the whole series, frankie, we can't wait for you to get to it you're gonna love it

My favourite quote ever (and one most often quoted by me and my friend as we both have this as our favourite book!) "Instant gratification takes too long." Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld I'd been putting off buying this book simply because it looked a weighty tome, but despite this, I kept being drawn to it whenever I saw it in the shop. After a run of mostly fantasy books, I felt the need to pick up something a bit more serious, and when I saw this on offer in Tesco, it was a done deal. I'm so glad I finally decided to buy it. Up front, we are told that the story of Alice Blackwell is "loosely inspired by the life an American first lady", but this loose inspiration has produced a compelling, engrossing book. The first person narrative draws you into Alice's life, but Sittenfeld's style of writing gives the character a remote, almost analytical, voice. Whilst it's not particularly a theme of the book, I felt that she captures the essence of growing up as an only child, and how that shapes the person you become, with a sense of independence and the ability to cope with isolation, even if that isolation is experienced within a marriage. Alice is an intelligent and compassionate, at times vulnerable and flawed, but her story is an incredibly satisfying read, from her childhood in a small town girl through to her life as the President's wife. Whilst the book does eventually deal with Alice's courtship and marriage to Charlie, a thinly disguised George W. Bush, the book deals more with Alice's relationship with herself and her principles, and that was why I was completely drawn into the story. A fascinating, thoughtful and thought-provoking novel.

Hi Ben, sounds like you had a lovely holiday! Hope you're having a good summer, even if your reading hasn't gone as well as you'd hoped. I remember it being reviewed a couple of years ago on Radio 5's Simon Mayo show, and I've looked at it a few times in book shops, but never actually bought it. Still tempted, though, so a good review from you could mean it's added to my wishlist

She doesn't irritate me, but it's quite distracting watching how much her hands shake with nerves!

Hi Emm I've read all your top five except the Larrsson book, and loved A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Shadow Of The Wind and The Time Travelers Wife. Like Chrissy says, just having a mooch through the forum should give you plenty of recommendations of what to read next, in fact, you'll probably have too much choice! A couple of my favourites of the year have been The Other Hand by Chris Cleave and The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan.

It is an absolutely compelling read - I've reviewed it in my reading list thread, but there are lots of spoiler warnings in the discussion I had with Linda about it, because I just had so many things I wanted to say about my feelings on the book!

I thought Rabbit-proof Fence by Doris Pilkington was excellent and very affecting in its brief 140-odd pages.