Nobody likes to spend money on a new book only to face disappointment when it doesn't live up to your expectations. Here are the best book review sites to help you avoid buying books that you'll regret reading.

Goodreads

Goodreads is the leading online community for book lovers. If you want some inspiration for which novel or biography to read next, this is the best book review site to visit. There are an endless number of user-generated reading lists to explore.

Fantasy Book Review

Fantasy Book Review should be high on the list for anyone who is a fan of fantasy works. The book review site publishes reviews for both children's books and adults' books. It has a section on the top fantasy books of all time.

Booklist

Booklist is a print magazine that also offers an online portal. Trusted experts from the American Library Association write all the book reviews. You can see parts of reviews for different books. However, to read them in full, you will need to subscribe.

YouTube

YouTube is not the type of place that immediately springs to mind when you think of the best book review sites online. However, there are several engaging YouTube channels that frequently offer opinions on books they've read.

Although it's easy to be attracted by an impressive book cover, it's always best to have a quick look at the book reviews before actually buying a copy. This way, you can save your money and spend it on the books that you'll be proud to display on your shelves for a long time.

2022 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards

A yearly contest for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year was held in London this year. The contest had 38, 575 entries from around the world. Let's have a scanning of four of this year's best works.

The great prize this year belonged to Karine Aigner of the US for an incredible shot of a ball of bees. The "ball" was formed with a lot of male bees fighting to win a single female bee. The picture was taken in southern Texas. Ms Aigner says that soon after the picture was taken, a female bee flew off with one of the males.

Dmitry Kokh of Russia won the award for Urban Wildlife. His picture of polar bears in an old house was taken on an island in the Chukchi Sea, between Russia and Alaska. Mr Kokh was on a boat when he noticed polar bears walking through an area where no one had lived for years. To get the picture without disturbing the bears， he used a quiet drone (无人机)to take the picture.

Fernando Constantino Martinez Belmar of Mexico had to wait in the dark in a cave filled with bats and snakes to get the image. Rat snakes in Yucatàn hang from cracks in the ceiling of the cave, hoping to grab one of the many bats that are flying out of the cave for the night. Using a red light that wouldn't disturb the animals, Mr Martinez Belmar waited until just the right moment to take the picture. He won the Amphibian and Reptile Behavior prize.

Nick Kanakis of the US took the picture of a wood wren (鹧鸪) —a bird that spends most of its time on the ground. The bird has its ear to the ground, listening for insects to catch and eat. After spotting a bird looking for food farther away, he stayed very still to get the shot, which won the prize for Bird Behavior.

Old and unrestored theatres are all around us and yet so unnoticed. A new photobook unveils their often-overlooked beauty.

Proctor's Theatre, Newark, New Jersey

Although available outdoors from street sellers, food was banned in theatres to display respectability. In the late 1920s, however, the operators in Proctor's Theatre in Newark began to set up stands to improve the economic situation during the Great Depression. Popcorn and Coke would become a significant part

of the theatre's income.

Proctor's Theatre, Troy, New York

Originally opened as Proctor's Fourth Street Theatre in 1914, it hosted famous comedians such as Jack Benny and Bob Hope. From 1929, it was successively taken over, renamed as Proctor's Troy Theatre and switched to screening films. In the 1960s, it began playing second-run films before closing in 1977. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1979. In 2010, the theatre was repaired but is currently not being used today.

RKO Keith's Flushing Theatre, New York

Originally opened in 1928, RKO Keith's Flushing Theatre was designed by Thomas Lamb. In 1982, it was listed on the NRHP. In 1986, the theatre was bought and closed by its new owner who planned to build a shopping centre on the site, intentionally damaging the hall. In 2019, despite the preservation efforts, the hall was knocked down to make way for a residential tower block.

Metropolitan Opera House, Philadelphia

The theatre was originally opened as the Philadelphia Opera House in 1908. In the 1920s, it was renamed as the Metropolitan Opera House, showing silent films in addition to hosting various opera companies. In the 1940s, it became a sports arena. In 1954, it was turned into a church. In the late 1990s, the building was purchased by Mark Hatcher. The church and the developer came to an agreement on a repair for a music venue that was completed and reopened in 2018.