U.S. book retailer Books-A-Million has made its selection for the 2026 Book of the Year and announced three can’t-miss events with the author. This year, the winner of the annual award, which is selected by store associates and booksellers within the company’s network, is Ariel Lawhon’sThe Pirate Queen.
A work of historical fiction, The Pirate Queen tells the story of real-life Irish chieftain and folk heroine Grace O’Malley, who fights to protect her people as Queen Elizabeth I’s forces begin to take over Ireland. This epic battle against imperialism sees powerful themes of heroism, suspense and, of course, some romance as well.
In celebration of this achievement, Books-A-Million is hosting three upcoming events with the author, which are as follows:
- Monday, Oct. 5: In Birmingham, Ala., at the Lyric Theatre
- Tuesday, Oct. 13: In Nashville, Tenn., at the Books-A-Million store in Mt. Juliet
- Thursday, Oct. 15: In Philadelphia, Pa., at Drexel University
Lawhon is a New York Times bestselling author, whose novel The Frozen River has sold more than two million copies and spent 21 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. About this most recent success, Lawhon said in a statement, “I’m so honored that Books-A-Million has chosen The Pirate Queen as their Book of the Year. I knew—from the first moment I read about Grace O’Malley—that she would be the subject of my next book. She is everything I’m drawn to in a main character: fierce and funny, rebellious and loyal. I am delighted that countless new readers will now get to meet this wild Irish woman, and I couldn’t be more grateful to the staff and readers at BAM for making that happen.”
Of this selection, Executive Vice President of Merchandising at Books-A-Million Kathy Gagliano said, “After months of reading, recommending and discussing this year’s books, our booksellers named The Pirate Queen a clear favorite across the company’s book clubs,” and Brittany Smith, Senior Fiction Buyer at Books-A-Million similarly shared, “The Pirate Queen is a powerful reminder that women have never needed permission to be strong.”…