Dr Paul Willis from ABC TV's Catalyst program launching Feathered Dinosaurs.

It's been another big week at Carlton. On Thursday night, sharp-tongued wit Judith Lucy drew in a big crowd, including many local comedians, to talk about family love and madness and her new autobiography, The Lucy Family Alphabet.

We had a big weekend for the mums and also the kids: Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnson story-telling and singing from their new picture book/CD collaboration, I'm Still Awake, Still.

At our monthly AIIA event, President John McKay discussed the compelling book The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East by Kishore Mahbubani and on Tuesday palaeontologist John Long launched his new book Feathered Dinosaurs; you must see the amazing illustrations by Peter Schouten.

Last night Jason Steger, the Age Literary Editor, spoke with Andrew Reimer about A Family History of Smoking, Andrew's absorbing and funny memoir about two Jewish families living through the last gasps of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

I hope you managed to get a ticket to our sell-out event with Tim Winton at the Athenaeum tonight. See you there.

Yes, Sunday is Mothers' Day and nothing beats the gift of a book (except maybe a book and a box of rich, dark chocolates.) There is lots of great new Australian fiction at the moment plus new biographies by Kate Jennings and Judith Lucy. My choice is the sassy new Bad Girls and Wicked Women that traces the lives of some of the most ruthless and ambitious women in history. Forget the chocolate, a full-bodied red instead, please.

Dave Clarke, Music Manager at Readings, has put together his top picks of the moment, from Kasey Chambers to Daniel Lanois, drop by and have a listen. Check out new Australian group Firekites.