The Joy of Spending Book Gift Cards

I was going to show some self-restraint. I was going to hold onto my book gift cards from Christmas until next year. I imagined even so long as the middle of January. So much for that idea. What was I thinking? The following books should arrive on my porch by January 2nd, courtesy of my sister's and parent's book card generosity:

• The People of Paper by Salvador Plascencia. "Among gang warfare and paper cuts, this book is about the wounds made by first love and sharp objects." Comparisons to Garcia Marquez, Borges, and Tristram Shandy among others.
• Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl. "Structured around a syllabus for a Great Works of Literature class and containing ironic visual aids (drawn by the author), Pessl's debut novel is complex yet compelling, erudite yet accessible." Is any more explanation needed?
• Thank You for Not Reading by Dubravka Ugresic. I've been wanting to read this for forever, was going to get it from the library, but decided I would certainly want to own it anyway, so...
• Marcel Proust: A Life by Jean-Yves Tadie. I've been wanting this too. Over 1,000 pages. Holy Cow!

I did go over the gift card amount but not by much. And besides, if I had taken a book off the order, one of the cards would have had a few dollars left on it and that just can't be.