Welcome to Sunday and the best of The Conversation.

Tomorrow is Halloween, a subject we’ve covered from many angles. For example, although this holiday has its roots in ancient Celtic culture, the American celebration has picked up notes of the Mexican Day of the Dead in recent years.

But no one culture owns monsters, and this week in editors’ picks we have a great exploration of Japanese monsters from Asian religions professor Kevin Taylor of the University of Memphis. Taylor writes of the spirits said to inhabit everyday objects in many Japanese traditions and folklore. These beliefs inspired the soot sprites in the Hayao Miyazaki animated classic “My Neighbor Totoro” as well as Marie Kondo’s habit of thanking old towels for their service. Taylor also describes some spookier Japanese beasts that I can imagine inspiring Halloween costumes in years to come.

This week, readers liked a story by Meagan Chriswell, who is studying immunology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, about a new study suggesting a link between the microbiome and rheumatoid arthritis.

Next week, we’ll bring you stories about churches founded by spiritual but not religious people looking to build community, how gender influences trust in central bankers, and electrifying trucking.