Sure, one of the great pleasures in the world is curling up alone with a good book, but sometimes voracious readers need to leave the house and hear the authors of their favorite books bring their stories to life in person. At the Philadelphia Book Festival this weekend, held in the blocks surrounding the Free Library Main Branch, you have this chance with over 60 authors reading on six different stages this Saturday and Sunday.

There's a little something for appreciators of all genres: chick lit fans can hear Jennifer Weiner read from Certain Girls on Saturday at 3pm; sports history buffs can listen to Mark Bowden's The Best Game Ever: Giants vs. Colts, 1958, and the Birth of the Modern NFL on Sunday at 1pm; fans of Wicked can check out Gregory Maguire reading on Saturday at 5pm; and culture buffs can listen to Veronica Chambers read from her new book Kickboxing Geishas: How Modern Japanese Women are Changing Their Nation on Sunday at 4pm.

Most importantly, those who haven't yet heard enough of the tawdry, fascinating details of Barbara Walters' life can buy tickets to her special reading on Sunday at 5pm.

Between all these readings, you can listen to live musical performers and peruse the 80+ publishing companies with tables set up for perusing and buying books. Comic book fans take special note: for Drawn and Quarterly's first time at the annual Book Festival, Black Hole writer and illustrator Charles Burns will be signing books on both days from 1-3pm. Expect to see some of your favorite Phillyist bloogers hovering in his shadow, awestruck!

Image Credit: Flickr user 0olong at Flickr