A Green Mushroom

This is not my normal kind of book.  It's about Japanese ghosts and how they fit into Japanese culture.  I don't typically stray from fiction when it comes to reading for fun, but this one was cool! I found it because it's by the author that does Japanese cultural essays in Wayward, which is my favorite part about that comic.  It's actually the main reason that I still pick it up whenever a new issue releases. Yurei: The Japanese Ghost is all about Japanese ghosts and their evolution over the years.  It's a fascinating read and gave me a lot of cultural insight that I knew nothing about. Overall it's an interesting read, although it had some culture touch points that were hard for me to grasp as a Westerner.  But I got a lot of good information out of this book.  I would say if you're interested in either Japanese culture or ghosts in general you'll find something worthwhile in reading this.

You never know where you're going to be exposed to a new way of thinking. Earlier this week I mentioned that in finally sampling 90ish comics from last year's free comic book day I found two series that inspired me to actually pay money and pick up more comics.  One of those was Wayward. Wayward is about supernatural occurrences happening in modern day Japan while most of the people are none the wiser.  It has relatable characters, fun powers, and an engaging story. The thing I like most about it is the section in the back of every issue that has a short essay on a facet of Japanese culture.  It's honestly the thing I look forward to the most in each issue. It's often an essay explaining the Japanese mythological origin for a character or group encountered in that week's comic.  But sometimes it's simply about the structure of day-to-day life in Japan.  I find both unbelievably fascinating. I love being exposed to new culture and finding out about ...