Crime and punishment in fact and fiction

Devorah Baum. Allen & Unwin. $22.99.

The Jewish joke is as old as Abraham, and like the Jews themselves it has wandered over the world, learned countless new languages, worked with a range of different materials, been performed in front of some pretty hostile crowds, but still retained its own distinctive identity. So what is it that animates the Jewish joke? Why are Jews so often thought of as "funny"? And how old can a joke get? This book is about what marks them apart from other jokes, why they are important to Jewish identity and how they work. It's both a compendium and a commentary.

Simone Davies, Junnifa Uzodike. Hachette Australia. $32.99.

When children are given independence, the tools to succeed, and the encouragement to build on their abilities, it's amazing what they can achieve. The newest book in the Montessori series is an everything-you-need-to-know guide to raising your school-aged child (from 3-12 years old, with a bonus chapter for the teen years) in the Montessori way. The book includes dozens of hands-on activities to help foster your child's love of numbers and literacy, art and science, and ones that encourage community-building, social awareness, and connection with the natural world.

Simon Schuster. HarperCollins. $34.99.

Subtitled, "The Inside Story of the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky", this book is based on years of reporting on, travelling with and interviewing Ukraine's president, his family, ministers, advisers, military commanders and others. It follows his evolution from a slapstick actor to a symbol of resilience, revealing how he managed to rally the world's democracies behind his cause. It offers a complex picture of a man struggling to break what he sees as a historical cycle of oppression that began generations before he was born.

Jamelle Wells. HarperCollins. $34.99.

After spending almost 20 years in city courtrooms reporting for the ABC on high-profile profile cases, Wells goes into the country courtrooms, from the grand sandstone edifices of Cobar and Grafton to the repurposed community halls and police stations in outback Queensland - introducing readers to the court staff - the solicitors, prosecutors, magistrates, witnesses and the accused, in cases that shock, captivate and divide communities. The stories range from the light and quirky - missing lollipops, exploding chocolate milk - to the tragic - high rates of Indigenous incarceration and alcohol-related and domestic violence.

Lee Christine. Allen & Unwin. $32.99.

After Justice Maurice Tempest dies violently in the Glenrock State Conservation Area, Senior Sergeant Callan O'Connor is called in. Another body is found there a few days later. Former political journalist Angela Avery has been at the Hunter Valley prison interviewing a soon-to-be-released forger, and when O'Connor's investigation reveals an interest in him Angela is determined to protect both her source and her fledgling relationship with O'Connor. Meanwhile, two young female lawyers from a law firm in Sydney have disappeared. What are the connections? Can it all be unravelled before more people die?

Tessa Bailey. HarperCollins. $22.99.

Former golf star Wells Whitaker quits but soon regrets it. He has a proposal for his biggest (only) fan, Josephine Doyle, who's always cheered him on: become his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split the prize money. Since her life - professionally and personally - is in a shambles and she could use the money, Josephine agrees and sparks fly as Wells starts winning again. Josephine is surprised to find a sweet, thoughtful guy underneath his gruff exterior. But Wells is technically her boss and an athlete falling for his fangirl would be ridiculous - right?

Kristin Hannah. Pan Macmillan. $34.99.

Ashcroft is a prison run by a corrupt governor whose determination to impose his will at any cost will have far-reaching consequences on all the inmates. Each one of these women has her own story to tell and her own penance to deal with. Friendships are forged that will last beyond a sentence, but some inmates can turn in the blink of an eye, because that's all part of being locked up. People are forced into a surrogate family with women they wouldn't even look at on the outside. Alliances can mean everything.But while they fight for their rights on the inside, who is looking after their family, their friends and children on the outside?

Jenna Lo Bianco. Pan Macmillan. $34.99.

In order to secure the future of his family estate and fix his broken relationship with his father, workaholic lawyer Matthew D'Adamo needs a wife. Enter Sarah Browne, an event manager who is looking for an escape from the pain of her endometriosis and the buzzer of her biological clock. With an ironclad prenuptial agreement, Matthew and his "wife," Sarah, are moving to Florence to fulfil the D'Adamo inheritance clause. There are just two problems.: they've never met. And there's another claimant on the D'Adamo estate. Matthew and the other potential heir will have to compete for the inheritance.