The first came in a 4–2 defeat at Leicester City, whilst the second was notched in a 1–0 defeat of Millwall. Halls also accumulated a total of three red cards during his time at Stoke. His last appearance in a Stoke shirt was on 28 December 2005 at home to Leeds United. Halls' contract was due to expire in the summer of 2006 but the player had expressed a desire to seek pastures new, provoking a number of clubs to show an interest in capturing his signature. Reading High-flying Reading paid an initial fee of £250,000 for Halls' services on 19 January 2006. Fellow Championship sides Crystal Palace and Southampton had both shown interest in signing Halls at the time. Halls made his Reading debut in the fourth round FA Cup tie versus Birmingham City on 28 January 2006. The match finished 1–1, with Birmingham proceeding to the next round after a replay. He had to bide his time until making his league bow in April 2006, against his former club, Stoke, he also scored in this game, helping Reading to a 3–1 victory. The player found his first team chances limited after Reading's promotion in 2006. In the 2006–07 season he did not make a single Premier League appearance, having to settle for two League Cup appearances. His chances of breaking into the first team were hampered by an achilles injury which plagued him throughout the season. Halls' one and only Premier League appearance to date was away at Bolton Wanderers in August 2007. This was followed by two more League Cup run-outs, one of which was a game at home to Liverpool in which Halls scored. As first team opportunities again proved scarce at the Madejski Stadium he was loaned out on three separate occasions in the 2007–08 season. Halls was loaned out to Championship sides Preston North End, Crystal Palace, and Sheffield United making a handful of appearances for each. Despite Reading's relegation into the Championship, Halls was released by the club on 16 May 2008. During his two and a half-year stay at Reading he made eight first-team appearances, the majority of which came in cup competitions. He also scored two goals, one each in the Championship and the League Cup. On 19 July, Halls featured in a pre-season match for Blackpool, with whom he was on trial. The match was played at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground