Which of Rick Bragg's seven books is YOUR all-time, personal favorite?

According to my trusty calendar, today (Thursday) is the birthday of one of Alabama’s most famous authors, Pulitzer Prize-winner Rick Bragg.

Bragg, 53, was born in Piedmont on July 26, 1959 and grew up in the Possum Trot community near Jacksonville in Calhoun County. Bragg got his start as a writer by working at a number of newspapers, including the New York Times. I have to admit that I’ve never read any of Bragg’s books, but I’ve always wanted to. I met him a number of years ago at an event in Gulf Shores and have been a big fan of his work ever since.

As of today, Bragg has published seven books. If you’re interested in reading all of them, they include:

- “All Over But the Shoutin’” (1999)

- “Wooden Churches: A Celebration” (1999)

- “Somebody Told Me: The Newspaper Stories of Rick Bragg” (2001)

- “Ava's Man” (2002)

- “I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story (2003)

- “The Prince of Frogtown” (2008)

- “The Most They Ever Had” (2009)

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Also this week, the good folks at the state tourism department released its Top 10 list of events for the month of August. If you’re looking for something fun to do next month, you might want to check out some of these events.

Events that made the cut include the following – Alabama Restaurant Week, Aug. 17-26; the 26th Annual World’s Longest Yard Sale in Forth Payne, Aug. 2-5; the 19th Annual Buckmasters Expo in Montgomery, Aug. 17-19; the Franklin County Watermelon Festival in Russellville, Aug. 17-18; the Stokin’ the Fire BBQ Festival in Birmingham, Aug. 18; the Gadsden Etowah Cobbler Festival, Aug. 24-25; the 14th Annual Moving Picture Festival in Birmingham, Aug. 24-26; the Bridgeport Jubilee in Bridgeport, Aug. 25; the Black Belt Folk Roots Festival in Eutaw, Aug. 25; and the Fort Mims Re-Enactment and Living History Weekend in Tensaw, Aug. 25-26.

The only event on the list above that I’ve ever been to is the Fort Mims Re-Enactment and Living History Weekend. It’s definitely worth going to see if you’ve never been.

Many of you will remember from your Alabama History class that the Battle of Fort Mims was an important event in American history. Located about 35 miles north of Mobile, Fort Mims was the site of the most brutal Indian massacre in U.S. history. Almost 200 years ago, on Aug. 13, 1813, a group of Creek Indians swept down on the fort and slaughtered 517 settlers and militiamen.

This event touched off the Creek Indian War of 1813-14 and drew Col. Andrew Jackson into the fight, which ended with the Battle of Horseshoe Bend on March 27, 1814 near Dadeville.

Also on the list you’ll see the Alabama Restaurant Week, which is a new promotion that the state tourism department has organized this year. It spotlights 232 restaurants in 57 cities in 30 counties across the state. The only restaurant in the vicinity of Evergreen taking part in this promotion is David’s Catfish House in Monroeville. David’s is known for its cole slaw, cheese grits and catfish, but I’m especially partial to their hamburger steak and gravy, which is mighty fine.