Faces of the Festival of Books, 2013

They came, they saw, they read -- and they took questions. Authors, illustrators, chefs and celebs took to many stages during the two-day 2013 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC to discuss obscure duck stamps, inappropriate humor, Wild West gun laws, their lives, reading, breasts, the state of young adult writing, the state of the Middle East (hazy with a chance of democracy) ... you get the idea. Here are some photos of those who appeared over the weekend to share their passions about, well, everything.

Alexis Nicholson, 9, reads despite the crowd around her during the 2013 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.  (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Gabbie Williams, 6, and Pierce Harlin, 11, splash in a fountain on USC’s campus during the 2013 L.A. Times Festival of Books.  (Arkasha Stevenson / Los Angeles Times)