If you want to get rid of certain tiles (sync, recommendations, etc), I suggest you look at davidfor's plugin for calibre called "KoboUtilities"....You can set it so that they don't reappear (well, actually during the sync, recommendations appeared, but at the end of the sync, it was automatically deleted).
If you don't use calibre, but like to edit your database (
), you can still remove the sync tile....but the downside, is you will have to do it after every sync.
You should be able to populate your home screen with 8 (or 9...haven't figured out what determines this, other than the size of the cover and no bookmarks or annotations in the 1st book) books. And other than the sync tile (which there is a sneaky option to get rid of), none of the other tiles should be an issue, as you add books, they should be put lower on the screen until they are bumped off.
HOWEVER, if you are using an SD card and the books you are adding are on the SD card, there is a bug...so if this is the case, let me know, and I'll tell you the pattern that I have observed, and how to get the unwanted tiles off without having to dismiss them.