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  <id>3101531</id>
  <title><![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]></title>
  <isbn><![CDATA[0743578155]]></isbn>
  <isbn13><![CDATA[9780743578158]]></isbn13>
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  <description><![CDATA[#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic<p><strong>IF YOU COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE BY REVERSING YOUR BIGGEST REGRETS, SORROWS, AND MISTAKES...WOULD YOU?</strong><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died - Eddie dreamed that somehow his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. What he got from her instead was a sweater. &quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot; that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell -- to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith, and forgiveness that makes us question whether we really know what's most important in our own lives.</p></p></p></p>]]></description>
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  <original_title>The Christmas Sweater</original_title>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
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  <average_rating>3.76</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>9</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Dec 07 21:01:14 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Dec 07 21:04:45 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[All I can say is at least I didn't waste too much time reading this.  The story was formulaic, the dialogue painful, and the writing lazy.  The story is based on a personal experience, and it would have been a much better book if he would have simply told the real story instead of trying to embellis...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39567433">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39567433]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>41148755</id>
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    <id>555839</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Kate]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Edwardsville, IL]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>4</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[People who like sappy Christmas stories]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[book club book]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Dec 26 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Dec 28 21:23:37 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Dec 28 21:36:22 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count>1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Glen Beck may be a well-known radio host, but he writes with all the finesse of a high school sophomore.  In this semi-autobiographical &quot;heartwarming Christmas tale&quot;, Beck tells about 12-year old Eddie who, along with his mother, has had some hard times since the death of his father a coup...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41148755">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41148755]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41148755]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>37713168</id>
    <user>
    <id>1431810</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Meggen]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Lehi, UT]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>4</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="lds-fiction" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Dec 16 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Nov 14 08:51:49 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 17 09:06:28 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[While this book was emotional and intense in a lot of places, and the story pulls at your heart strings, it is SO WORTH the read!  The story draws you in, because there are elements to it that I think everyone can relate to on some level.  I especially love the message of redemption, atonement, forg...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37713168">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37713168]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37713168]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>44201262</id>
    <user>
    <id>1177534</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Michael]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Smyrna, TN]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1177534-michael]]></link>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1269</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/books/32/926/3268926-m-1255795349.jpg</image_url>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="read-in-2009" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Jan 24 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jan 24 14:03:36 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jan 29 06:14:49 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I put this one on reserve at the library before Christmas, hoping it might come in in time to enjoy during the holiday season.  It didn't but when it arrived in early January, I hoped it might be close enough to the holiday that I'd still enjoy the story and get the Chrismtas spirit all over again....<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44201262">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44201262]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44201262]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>41000182</id>
    <user>
    <id>1078136</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Tanis]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Brigham City, UT]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1078136-tanis]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1232384728p3/1078136.jpg]]></image_url>
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    <book>
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  <isbn>141659485X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781416594857</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1269</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
  </title>
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  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/books/32/926/3268926-s-1255795349.jpg</small_image_url>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>4</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Dec 28 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Dec 27 07:33:06 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Dec 29 07:12:08 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Here's an idea - what if we read Christmas books ANY time of the year, and not just at Christmastime?  Around Christmas there is an emphasis on gratitude, charity, kindness, and love, which is wonderful, but there's no reason to focus on those things only in December.  This book helped to remind me ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41000182">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41000182]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41000182]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>30263677</id>
    <user>
    <id>863551</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Tracey]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[San Jose, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/863551-tracey]]></link>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>4</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
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        <shelf name="inspirational" />
        <shelf name="lds" />
        <shelf name="spirtual" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Everyone]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Dec 16 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Aug 15 16:25:24 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Dec 16 12:53:45 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I am a huge Glenn Beck fan and can relate to his quirky sense of humor. I didn't know what to expect from this book. I was pleasantly surprised. Very quick read with a wonderful message about family, faith and the things that are important. It will be one of those books that will be read over and ov...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/30263677">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/30263677]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/30263677]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>39336568</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Debby]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>3</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[anyone]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Dec 04 19:29:41 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 04 19:32:54 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Wow!!  The last two chapters found me sobbing like a baby...okay quietly sobbing at night.  I had very little sympathy for the main character until the end of the book.  The storm that inevitably gets us is a &quot;doozy.&quot;  Luckily my faith carries me through the storms of life, sometimes easil...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39336568">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39336568]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39336568]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>37567287</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Lisa]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>3</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
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          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Nov 11 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Nov 12 17:54:44 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Nov 12 18:03:48 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I am such a fan of Glenn Beck and was excited to buy this book on its release date. I also read it all on the same day. A compelling story that everyone can relate to and connect with on many levels. I'm giving it five stars; not because it is on the same level as many of the great works of literatu...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37567287">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37567287]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37567287]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>39079838</id>
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    <id>609943</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Alyssa]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Saint George, UT]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>3</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
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            <shelf name="fiction" />
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Dec 07 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Dec 01 20:32:52 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Dec 07 12:00:27 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book has some powerful messages. Some that hit home the most for me: I am worthy of the journey AND the destination I'm in. Forgiveness is happiness. The atonement makes it possible for me to start over anytime I need to. <br/>I highly recommend this book for everyone this Christmas. Thanks, D...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39079838">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39079838]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39079838]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>43039036</id>
    <user>
    <id>784513</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Danielle]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Herriman, UT]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/784513-danielle]]></link>
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  <isbn>141659485X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781416594857</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1269</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>3</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="fiction" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Jan 14 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jan 14 13:05:48 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Jan 14 13:24:58 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[You should read this book 1) because it's short and requires minimal effort; 2) because it teaches you something about yourself; and 3) because it will leave you with that warm, and yes, sappy Christmas-time feeling that so many elitist readers seem to think is somehow beneath them.<br/>Here's the ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43039036">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43039036]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43039036]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>38374451</id>
    <user>
    <id>796248</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Tricia]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/796248-tricia]]></link>
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  <isbn13>9781416594857</isbn13>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
  </title>
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  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/books/32/926/3268926-s-1255795349.jpg</small_image_url>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>3</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Nov 18 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Nov 22 07:57:21 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Nov 22 08:12:50 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I wasn't sure if I would like this book but it was great. This book has so many truths about growing up and figuring out who we are. That forgiveness is always available to us, even for the big sins. There were times when I wasn't sure where the story was going or why, but in the end I was quite ple...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38374451">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38374451]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Helynne]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Gunnison, CO]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Nov 18 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Nov 14 13:16:56 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Nov 18 10:26:50 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I am always amazed at the popularity of these sentimental and pedestrian Christmas stories that hit the bookstores every autumn, and if this sounds like sour grapes, it is.  I'll admit to being irritated that writers like Glenn Beck and Richard Paul Evans consistently hit pay dirt nationally with th...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77773637">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77773637]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77773637]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>37674157</id>
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  <isbn>141659485X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781416594857</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1269</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>3</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Anyone]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[Gleen Beck]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Nov 13 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Nov 13 18:48:57 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Nov 13 19:01:12 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count>1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater is an amazing book it is full of emotions. I was amazed at how Brother Beck was able to capture what I have tried to for years. Thanks Gleen I am not a reader. However when I pick up a book and read it cover to cover in one sitting that is saying something for that book. BTW it...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37674157">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37674157]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37674157]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>40866719</id>
    <user>
    <id>906534</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Ben]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Dec 24 22:45:33 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 24 22:58:37 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A phenomenal book.  Glenn Beck takes the reader through his life and experiences he had that helped him discover many of the same lessons that we must all learn:  1.)  Life is not fair.  2.)  God wants us to be happy.  3.)  While God wants us to be happy, whether or not we ARE happy depends entirely...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40866719">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40866719]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40866719]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>39763851</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Cindy]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>true</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
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            <shelf name="christmas" />
        <shelf name="fiction" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Dec 21 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Dec 10 04:12:10 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Dec 21 18:43:09 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I wasn't really familiar with Glenn Beck aside from that I knew that he had a tv show on a cable network and a radio show, and was a member of the lds church. First, this book is amazing. Its a boy named Eddie who has recently lost a father and is preparing for christmas with his mother. All Eddie w...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39763851">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39763851]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39763851]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>40235471</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Kathy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Salt Lake City, UT]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Dec 16 11:34:34 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Dec 16 11:48:33 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Twelve year old Eddie is very, very angry.  His dad has died and then his mother dies at Christmas after Eddie stubbornly refuses to stay overnight at his grandparents.  Eddie has to live with the guilt for years.  Did he cause her death?  That's pretty tough for adults to live with, but for a twelv...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40235471">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40235471]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40235471]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>41167652</id>
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    <id>1392602</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Rachaelita]]></name>
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  <isbn13>9781416594857</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1269</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
  </title>
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  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/books/32/926/3268926-s-1255795349.jpg</small_image_url>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Dec 30 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Dec 29 07:00:49 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 31 08:39:30 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[&quot;The Christmas Sweater&quot; had a lovely message about life, gratitude, and spirituality. I enjoyed the point the author was trying to make about how people need to value what they have and less of what they they think want. There was also a very poignant message conveyed about being less self...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41167652">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41167652]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41167652]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[church book group]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Nov 23 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Nov 23 13:31:16 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Nov 23 13:31:16 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Good book for any time, not just Christmas time.  Although it's message does remind us why we celebrate Christmas.<br/><br/>At first I was disappointed at the ending but as I read on (to the events of Glenn Beck's life that shaped this novel), I appreciated it more.<br/><br/>It's full of good qu...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38469107">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38469107]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38469107]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>42573882</id>
    <user>
    <id>1402180</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jeremy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Syracuse, UT]]></location>
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  <isbn>141659485X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781416594857</isbn13>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
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  <read_at>Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jan 10 10:31:05 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jan 10 10:31:17 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Glenn Beck is a laughably poor writer.  I haven’t read his non-fiction stuff, but it sells pretty well.  I cant imagine it’s this hard to read, or else it wouldn’t have sold so well, right?  I think the last book I read that made me cringe at how badly it was written was Da Vinci Code.  This b...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/42573882">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/42573882]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/42573882]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>37834875</id>
    <user>
    <id>793094</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Lisa]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Richmond, VA]]></location>
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  <isbn13>9781416594857</isbn13>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Christmas Sweater]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>3209</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;<strong>&lt;big&gt;If You Could Change Your Life by Reversing Your Biggest Regrets, Sorrows and Mistakes...Would You?</strong><p>#1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author and renowned radio and television host Glenn Beck delivers an instant holiday classic about boyhood memories, wrenching life lessons, and the true meaning of the gifts we give to one another in love.<p><em>We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....</em><p>When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that <em>somehow</em> his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. <p>What he got from her instead was a sweater. <em>&quot;A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater&quot;</em> that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.<p>Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family  -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell  --  to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.<p>Based on a deeply personal true story, <em>The Christmas Sweater</em> is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.</p></p></p></p></p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[everyone.]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Nov 21 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Nov 15 19:34:56 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Nov 21 10:49:49 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Some of the story is based on events in Glenn Beck's young life in a working class family that didn't have much of material value. Glenn wants the things other kids have, like a shiny new red bike for Christmas. Glenn learns that he doesn't always get the possessions he wants or his circumstances, b...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37834875">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37834875]]></url>
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