The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word BOOKREST
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
B
O
O
K
R
E
S
T
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "This might help when reading" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case this might help when reading = bookrest.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 BOOKREST mean?
BOOKREST noun- A support used to maintain a book or sheet when reading.