Old:

I should start reading some books instead of magazines. It's good to learn things, isn't it? I only ever look at the pictures.

New:

I should start reading some books instead of just magazines. It's good to learn things, isn't it? I just need them to have pictures.

My reasoning is that there's probably some reason why Haley doesn't even read the articles in magazines she is presumably interested in - and no, "she's a vapid mean blonde who hasn't had character development yet" is not a reason. The original writing has always bugged me as sexist and inexplicably out of character / apparently trying to pander to a bookish audience. And I mean, I am said bookish audience, but this line out of Haley's mouth is just bewildering, and seems to diminish her entire character by making it just... some nerd's fantasy about taming the shrew, or something.

For the actual reason, I came up with two separate interpretations. First is that Haley has some kind of trouble reading: perhaps she has a learning disability, vision problems, or perhaps her education failed her and she's simply not literate enough - either way, written text is not trivial for her to parse even on a topic she's interested in. Second is that she's just that uninterested in reading as an activity, and the magazines are actually her sister's: they share an interest in fashion, so the pictures would be engaging to Haley, but the actual articles presumably wouldn't be. Both interpretations are perfectly compatible, and either way these magazines make sense as a starting point for changing her mind and trying to read. They're what she's interested in, if the problem is the density of the text to non-Emily's-subculture-member she can just ask Emily, and if the problem is Haley's own difficulties with reading, a text on a topic she's already well familiar with will be far easier than a random book.

Have I put too much thought into it? Probably. Am I glad I made this mod? Definitely. And I hope it improves someone else's experience, too.