Learn Hardcore Russian: Мне нравится читать такие записи, потому что они напоминают, что каждое животное чувствует боль и радость. - I like to read such posts because they remind me that every animal feels pain and joy.

English flips this structure to “I like …”, but Russian keeps the “impersonal” feeling: the object is pleasing to you, rather than you actively liking it.

Why is the verb нравится in the singular when такие записи is plural?

Because in this sentence the subject is not записи, but the infinitive phrase читать такие записи (to read such posts).

The whole phrase читать такие записи functions as a single action, a verbal noun-like subject.
When an infinitive (or infinitive phrase) is the subject, the verb is usually 3rd person singular:
- Читать такие записи мне нравится.
- Literally: “To read such posts is pleasing to me.”

If you removed читать and spoke about the posts themselves, then the verb would be plural:

Мне нравятся такие записи. — I like such posts.

So:

Мне нравится читать такие записи. — singular, because читать такие записи is the subject.
Мне нравятся такие записи. — plural, because такие записи is now the subject.

What is the difference between Мне нравится читать такие записи and Я люблю читать такие записи?

Both can be translated as “I like reading such posts”, but there is a nuance:

Мне нравится...
- Literally: “It is pleasing to me...”
- Slightly more neutral, often used for current impressions, reactions, aesthetics.
- Can sound a bit softer:
  Мне нравится эта музыка. — I like this music (it’s pleasing to me).
Я люблю...
- Literally: “I love / I am fond of...”
- Often expresses a more stable preference, a habit, or stronger liking.
- Я люблю читать can suggest reading is a regular hobby.

In many everyday contexts, they are interchangeable, but:

Мне нравится читать такие записи – more like “I find reading such posts pleasant / enjoyable.”
Я люблю читать такие записи – more like “I (generally) like / love reading such posts (as an activity).”

Why is it такие записи and not такой / такая / такое запись?

Because записи is plural, and the demonstrative такой (“such”) must agree with the noun in gender and number.

запись — feminine, singular
- такая запись — such a post / such a note
записи — plural (any gender in plural uses the same form of такой)
- такие записи — such posts / such notes

So:

One post: такая запись
Several posts: такие записи

The form такие is the plural of такой / такая / такое for all genders.

What exactly does записи mean here? Is it always “records”?

Записи is the plural of запись. The word has several meanings depending on context:

a note, entry (in a notebook)
a post (on a blog, social network, diary, etc.)
a recording (audio or video)
a record / inscription

In this sentence, in a modern context, читать такие записи is very naturally understood as:

“to read such posts / such entries” (e.g., on a blog or social media)

So no, it’s not limited to “records”; it’s a general word for written or recorded entries.

Why is there a comma before потому что?

In Russian, потому что (“because”) introduces a subordinate clause of reason.

The structure is:

Main clause: Мне нравится читать такие записи,
Subordinate clause: потому что они напоминают...

Russian punctuation rules require a comma between the main clause and the subordinate “because” clause:

[Main], потому что [Reason].

So the comma is obligatory here, just like in English in sentences such as:
“I like reading such posts, because they remind (me) that…”

What does они refer to in потому что они напоминают...?

Они is a 3rd person plural pronoun: “they”.

It refers back to the nearest suitable plural noun: такие записи.

So:

такие записи → “such posts / such entries”
они напоминают... → “they remind (me)…”

The full idea:
Мне нравится читать такие записи, потому что (такие записи) напоминают, что...
“I like reading such posts because they remind (me) that…”

Why do we say они напоминают, что... and not они напоминают о том, что...? Are both correct?

Both are grammatically correct, but there is a nuance:

они напоминают, что каждое животное чувствует...
- The verb напоминать here is followed directly by a clause with “что”.
- This construction is shorter and more direct.
- It’s common in speech and writing:
  Он напомнил, что завтра собрание. — He reminded (us) that the meeting is tomorrow.
они напоминают о том, что каждое животное чувствует...
- Here напоминать takes the preposition о with a noun phrase том, which is then clarified by the “что”-clause.
- This is a bit more formal / explicit:
  literally “they remind [about the fact] that…”

In your sentence, both versions sound natural:

With о том: slightly more bookish or explicit.
Without о том: more streamlined, very common in everyday style.

The version without о том is perfectly good and idiomatic here.

Why do we need the word что before каждое животное чувствует боль и радость?

Here что introduces a content clause, similar to English “that”:

они напоминают, что каждое животное чувствует...
“they remind (us) that every animal feels...”

Without что, you cannot directly attach this clause to напоминают; the sentence would be ungrammatical or at least feel broken.

So:

что here is a subordinating conjunction meaning “that”, not the question word “what”.

Why is it каждое животное, not каждый животное?

In Russian, каждый / каждая / каждое (“every/each”) must agree with the noun in:

gender
number
case

The noun животное is:

neuter
singular
nominative

So you must use the neuter form:

каждый — masculine
каждая — feminine
каждое — neuter

Thus:

каждое животное — every animal
(literally “each animal” in the neuter form)

Why is чувствует singular when we have боль и радость (two nouns)?

The verb чувствует agrees with the subject, not with the objects.

Subject: каждое животное — singular
Verb: чувствует — 3rd person singular
Objects: боль и радость — two things that are felt

So the structure is:

каждое животное — чувствует — (что?) боль и радость

Just like in English:

“Every animal feels pain and joy.”
- “feels” is singular because the subject “every animal” is singular, even though it feels two things.

What case are боль and радость in, and why do they look like nominative?

In this sentence, боль and радость are direct objects of the verb чувствует, so they are in the accusative case.

However, for many feminine nouns ending in a soft sign (ь), the nominative singular form and the accusative singular form are identical:

боль:
- nominative sg: боль
- accusative sg: боль
радость:
- nominative sg: радость
- accusative sg: радость

So they look like nominative, but function as accusative here:

чувствовать (что?) боль и радость — to feel pain and joy.

Why are читать, напоминают, and чувствует in the imperfective aspect, not perfective?

The imperfective aspect in Russian is used for:

general statements
repeated / habitual actions
ongoing or timeless truths

In this sentence:

читать — reading in general, as an activity you like, not one single finished reading.
они напоминают — these posts regularly / generally remind (you), not in one specific moment.
каждое животное чувствует — expresses a general truth about all animals.

Using the perfective would usually sound:

too single-event,
or shifted to a specific occasion.

For example:

Мне понравилось прочитать эту запись. — I liked reading this (one specific) post (and I finished reading it).
(понравилось / прочитать — perfective, one event)

In your original sentence, we talk about general preference and general truths, so the imperfective is the natural choice.