Wendy McClure (right) flew in from Chicago to celebrate the publication of The Amazing Mackerel Pudding Plan, a collection of images from actual Weight Watchers recipe cards with snarky commentary. The party, at West Village '70s-themed lounge Shag, included a central display of some of the authentic dishes from the collection, including (from top) aspic-glazed lamb loaf, crown roast of frankfurters, and fluffy mackerel pudding—which McClure told me one of the guests actually ate at some point, declaring it to taste "like gefilte fish."

As that party wound down, I dashed uptown to the bar where Alison Pace (far left) was meeting with friends and fellow novelists Sarah Mlynowski and Lynda Curnyn after a Borders reading for her second book, Pug Hill. Pace will also be joining the New York City Pug Meetup Group this Sunday afternoon at the Happy Paws Pet Resort on Houston and Lafayette; most of the proceeds from books sold at the event will be donated to dog rescue organizations specifically devoted to pugs.