LDM Loves... "The Sunset Limited" by Cormac McCarthy

This book will change your mind. Cormac McCarthy's "novel in dramatic form" (publishing speak for: "no one's going to buy a play") is a fantastic rumination on god-is-great v. boring-old-humanity's-all-we-got that'll have you agreeing 100% with both arguments. The entire "novel" is a conversation between two aged men — one white, one black, after the white man tried to leap in front of a train to kill himself, but the black man saved him. HBO's made it easier to skip the text and go right to the silver screen, but have trust that reading it first will illuminate your brain and your tender sense of humanity twelve-fold. 

Buy The Sunset Limited on IndieBound.

Watch the trailer on HBO.com.

LDM Loves... "Route-Rageous" by Progressive

Place arrows, snare coins, waste time! The dulcet, joyful melodies that jangle from Progressive's brain-bending app are reason enough to click "download"; the other reason: it's free. Disguised to the point where you'll never think of it as a commercial, the aim is to plot a path to steer a car safely around a track and clear from danger. The lone flaw: there's no way to snare every coin set out on any of the 20 levels — which we discovered the hard way (after way too many hours trying on that first level). 

Download Route-Rageous on iTunes.

LDM Loves... "Welcome to Mollywood" by Molly Parkin

We are truly, madly in love with this lady. From kleptomaniac mice stealing her dentures, to explicit tales of promiscuity (including an encounter with a 23-year-old surfer in a Vegas hotel toilet at the age of 73), Queen of Bohemia Molly Parkin regales us with tales from the last 80 years of her remarkable life with the memoir Welcome to Mollywood, published by Beautiful Books. The two-time LDM London judge divulges hedonistic anecdotes that leave nothing to the imagination — from alcoholism to bankruptcy, illness to recovery. Yet, she's tender in her recollections of her wild past, in such a way it'll motivate you to live a greater, grander life starting immediately. 

Buy Welcome to Mollywood.

Watch "Moll: A Portrait of Molly Parkin."

LDM Loves... Will Franken’s 500 Personalities

Will Franken takes on the Bible. We think Will Franken is the fastest, weirdest funnyman on the circuit. If Robin Williams and Anton LaVey had ritualistic sex and produced a demon child, that baby could (and maybe did?) grow up to be Will Franken. The personalities roll across his features so fast your head will spin. Rather, his head spins, and we wouldn’t discount the possibility of a pea soup explosion. Did we mention he’s really, really funny? He works hard, and often, so see him perform live — you'll have three opportunities during SF Sketchfest. 

Check out Will Franken's Web site for calendar listings.

See Franken operate live on Laugh Locally.

LDM Loves... "Refrigerator, 1957" by Thomas Lux

Plus, this cover's genius, too.

When it comes to The New Yorker's poetry we know there are an endless stack of games, but we were so gut-punched by Thomas Lux's poem in the July 28, 1997 issue (page 70, if you're scoring at home) that its stuck with us ever since — so much so, that the "LDM Loves..." logo is based on its final lines. We'd say more, but the thing's a mere 40 lines long, and that's all it takes Lux to make you regret, miss and love pretty much everyone and everything. 

Read Refrigerator, 1957.

Read more Thomas Lux.