20 Cool Things You Need to Click (Plus, The Best Black Friday Sales!)

J.Crew Chateau Parka (50% off with code FRIDAY!); Chloe Marcie Small Crossbody Bag ($50 off on Neiman Marcus!);  Such A Fun Age (preorder here), 

Did you guys have a good Thanksgiving? We're down in Raleigh, North Carolina, with my husband's side of the family. Our hotel is actually in a mall (!), so it inspired me to put together these links today. I'm not doing a crazy ton of Black Friday shopping, but I am planning on taking advantage of a few really great deals (sharing those below!). And of course, don't forget about books! I've listed some awesome ones I've read lately, below. Target is doing a 2 for 1 sale on books right now (check it out here), so it's the perfect time to stock up. And Amazon is doing Black Friday deals on select books, as well. Whatever you're up to this weekend--whether it's shopping, reading, or leftovers--here's a few fun links to check out in the meantime.

• Before we get to the clothing Black Friday sales, let's talk books! If you have been thinking of joining Book of the Month, now is definitely the time to start. December is, hands down, the best group of book choices I have seen so far! I have actually already read and loved three of the books: Long Bright River (suspenseful family drama/crime story--and one of my top, top books of the year), Dear Edward (beautiful story of a young boy who is the sole survivor of a plane crash), and Red White and Royal Blue (fun, smart romance--more on it below). I also already have a copy of The Wives, which I've heard is an awesome thriller, and the fifth book--The Glittering Hour--is the only one I hadn't read/don't own, so that was my pick this month! I've heard great things about it, so I'm excited... If you would like to join BOTM, you can use this link, and we'll both get a free book!

• J.Crew's Black Friday sale is so good! 50% off (and 60% off sale!) with code FRIDAY. I want this pom pom sweater, this mockneck sweater in like five more colors (I already own the light gray), and these gold slippers. (I already own them in beige and they are so comfy and warm. The gold is way more fun though!) Also, the Chateau Parka is the BEST coat. I've had it in tan for a couple of years now and it has held up perfectly. (That's it in the photo above!) I kind of want it in another color now, too. Hmm...

• My hotel in Raleigh is right across from Anthropologie, so I stopped in this morning and found so much good stuff--all 30% off! Limited suitcase space though, so I took pictures of everything I wanted, and am ordering it online. :) Here's what I loved: this braided velvet headband (cuter and a little more unique and special than the knotted style that everyone is wearing), this green dress (love that it could be worn for three different seasons), and this amazing sequin sweater!! (I love it with jeans, but it would also be so good dressed up with a skirt for a cozy holiday-party outfit).

• There's always so much stuff I want at Madewell, but I feel like they rarely have sales. But the Madewell Black Friday sale is 30% off everything (!) with code GIFTWELL, so I think I'm ready to pull the trigger on this colorblock cardigan, this buffalo check sweater coat, and maybe a backup pair of my absolute favorite jeans: these 8" skinny jeans in the Ames Wash.

• This rainbow sweater is so cute. And it's on sale for $46!

• Christmas tree rings seem to be the cool new thing, and I really love the way they look. This gold tree ring is the one I have my eye on. It's so pretty, and on sale right now for $48!

• These aren't on a Black Friday sale, but I love them so much and wanted to share them anyway. I bought these jeweled combat boots after one of my favorite bloggers Landyn recommended them, and I am obsessed. They are comfy and just so cool. They are my go-to boots for going out to dinner, etc now. They look amazing tucked into skinny jeans, and in person, the jewels are actually pretty subtle. They just add a little something extra. LOVE. 

• I unfortunately didn't get around to doing a "Everything I Read In October" post like I did with September, so here's a mini one. If you're looking for a good book, here are the eight books in October (spoiler: I liked all of them, and LOVED quite a few!): 

- Dominicana - This is definitely one of the best books I have read this year. It's a moving, beautiful story of a 15-year-old girl in the Dominican Republic who is married off to a 35-year-old man and then moves with him to 1960s New York City. It's moving and beautiful with wonderfully developed characters.

- The Institute - I LOVED this latest book from Stephen King about a young boy who is violently kidnapped and then taken to an "institute" where he meets other kidnapped children, all with mysterious powers. This book is heart-stopping, suspenseful, and SO good.

- Red White and Royal Blue - I am super picky about romance--they have to be SMART and non-cheesy--and I really enjoyed this one where the son of the first female president of the United States falls in love with the prince of England. And as I mentiond above, it also happens to be a December Book of the Month pick! (Reminder: If you want to join BOTM, use this link and you'll get a free book!) 

- Twice in a Blue Moon - Another romance that I actually really loved! In this new one by Christina Lauren, two teenagers meet, quickly fall in love, and then the boy breaks her heart in a terrible way. Many years later they meet unexpectedly on a movie set (the girl is now a famous, up-and-coming actress) and they are forced to come to terms with their past--and their future.

- The Other's Gold - This is a story of four female friends from college through adulthood. Each makes a mistake at some point and you learn about these four mistakes throughout the book. I thought the characters were very interesting, and though I had mixed feelings about the book, I did like it. It's not a super page turner, but not everything has to be.

- Toil & Trouble - Another fun memoir from Augustus Burroughs. In this one, he shares how he is actually a witch--!--with psychic abilities. I always love his writing, so I really enjoyed this.

- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - The true story of a black woman who had her tissue taken from her without consent prior to her death. The tissue happened to be very special though, and then went on to lead to countless medical breakthroughs. It's a compelling story and there are so many interesting questions about ethics and what rights we have or don't have over our own bodies.  I did the audio version of this and recommend it!

- The Tipping Point - I'm the last person to read this book, I know. It's interesting, though I'd probably be a little more into it if I worked in a business/marketing type job. Note: I did the audio and the audio version is very short, which was nice.

• In other news: My long-time friend Laney (we worked together at Lucky magazine about a million years ago) has big news. She launched a makeup line called Saie Beauty! And the best part? It's CLEAN!

• My friend Carrie always posts the best quick, EASY meals. I want to make this chicken stroganoff soon. It looks fantastic! 

• If you haven't read it yet, drop everything and read this incredible account of a day in the life of two homeless kids trying to get through a school day in New York City. It will absolutely break your heart, but it's a must-read. And then, after you finish, please visit this Twitter thread for ways that you can donate to help these kids and other's like them. I bought some items off the Amazon Wish List for Sandy's school...

• And in case you missed it, I did an unintentional mother/son photo shoot with my little guy. (And I'm obsessed with the resulting pics!)