The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word BOOKLETS
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
B
O
O
K
L
E
T
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "They’re loosely bound for Reading" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case they’re loosely bound for reading = booklets.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BOOKLETS mean?
BOOKLETS noun- A small or thin book.