On Willpower or the Lack Thereof

I meant to have a book review for you today, but as usual, things didn't go quite as I planned. Instead, I've composed this bookish acquisition post in an effort to convince you that I need an intervention and someone to commit me to book addiction rehab.

It's library book sale season here in Nowheresville, PA, and for the first time in years, I skipped one. It was right after BEA, and I knew I didn't need a single book for years to come. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to skip two. I exercised some restraint in not being there for the very first hour on the very first day in hopes that by the time I got there, it would be all picked over and I wouldn't get much. Again, failure.

I spent about $20 less than usual, but then I usually spend around $40 at this particular library book sale which always seems to have nice, barely used copies of surprisingly new books. Now, if you've been to a library book sale recently, and I suspect that perhaps you have, you'll know that 20 bucks will get you an uncommon amount of lightly used books.

Without further ado - my secret shame, emerging for the first time from the box that I've been trying to pretend I didn't actually bring home with me (with occasional commentary):

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - a book I can't believe I don't already own.
America, America by Ethan Canin
The Age of Shiva by Manil Suri
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga - a book that caught my attention when it won the Man Booker Prize in 2008.
Coventry by Helen Humphreys - to feed my need for World War II fiction.
The Rebels of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd - because I've got the first book in the Dublin Saga, so obviously I need the next one, right?
Unveiled by Francine Rivers - One of a series of novellas about women from the Bible. If I like this one, there's more where it came from!
The Lizard Cage by Karen Connelly - Because I think this got some Orange Prize attention at some point, and I heart me some Orange Prize.
Arlington Park by Rachel Cusk - See above. I think.
Let Me Finish by Roger Angell - Even if this didn't sound really interesting, my shallow heart could never pass up the awesome cover on this book.
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith - I seem to recall the blogosphere being abuzz about this a while ago...
Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo - See above.
Bucking the Sun by Ivan Doig - I've had such a thing for stories about people in Montana ever since I went there and didn't stay like I was supposed to.
Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer
Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman - Same author as Downsiders which was a pretty good book.
The Schwa was Here by Neal Shusterman - See above.
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis - I'm pretty sure I've read about a zillion good reviews of this in one place or another. Despite it's not being my normal thing, I certainly have to try it, no?
The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis - I've always loved a good Newbery book, and this one is a Newbery Honor.
A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck - See above.

Only, uhm, 19. That's good right. Hardly any really. But where will I put them?

Have you read any of them? Which one should I read first? Discuss while I attempt not to mysteriously vanish for a week. Really. ;-)

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