There’s nothing like a Wednesday for thinking about the books we want to read! My Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday post is linking up with two fabulous book memes, Wishlist Wednesday (hosted by Pen to Paper) and Waiting on Wednesday (hosted by Breaking the Spine).

This week’s pick:

The Splendour Falls by Susanna Kearsley
(to be released January 2014)

Synopsis via Amazon:

An Ancient Castle, a Tragic Love, and a Web of Secrets Begins to Unravel…

Emily Braden has stopped believing in fairy tales and happy endings. When her fascinating but unreliable cousin Harry invites her on a holiday to explore the legendary town of Chinon, and promptly disappears—well, that’s Harry for you.

As Emily makes the acquaintance of Chinon and its people, she begins to uncover dark secrets beneath the charm. Legend has it that during a thirteenth-century siege of the castle that looms over the city, Queen Isabelle, child bride of King John, hid a “treasure of great price.” And in the last days of the German occupation during World War II, another Isabelle lived in Chinon, a girl whose love for an enemy soldier went tragically awry.

As the dangers of the past become disastrously real, Emily is drawn ever more deeply into a labyrinth of mystery as twisted as the streets and tunnels of the ancient town itself.

The Splendour Falls is actually an older book by Susanna Kearsley, first published in 1995, which is getting a spiffy new cover and relaunch this coming January. Sourcebooks has been reissuing the author’s earlier works over the past several years, mixed in with some newer ones, and just looking at covers, the results are phenomenal. I mean, they’re all so pretty, I just have to have them on my shelf!

But hey, it’s about more than just looks! I’ve read all of the above (except for The Firebird, which I hope to get to in the next few weeks), and have reviews posted for Mariana and The Shadowy Horses. Susanna Kearsley is a lovely writer, with lush and romantic settings and descriptions, a fine touch when it comes to tugging at the heartstrings, and a keen ability to weave historical threads into contemporary stories. At this point, she’s really one of my auto-buy authors, so naturally I’ll be reading The Splendour Falls once it’s reissued in January!

What are you wishing for this Wednesday?

Looking for some bookish fun on Thursdays and Fridays? Come join me for my regular weekly features, Thursday Quotables and Flashback Friday! You can find out more here — come share the book love!

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Do you host a book blog meme? Do you participate in a meme that you really, really love? I’m building a Book Blog Meme Directory, and need your help! If you know of a great meme to include — or if you host one yourself — please drop me a note on my Contact page and I’ll be sure to add your info!