Newcastle is a russel group uni, which is something to take into account. As youre an international student, maybe they have different fees, so that would be worth checking. I would also take into account how easy they are to reach (both uni's have airports quite close I think) and I know that at Newcastle they come and pick you up from the airport. Newcastle accomodation is really nice and modern, i'm not too sure about reading. I was thinking of applying to reading but chose Newcastle instead because the nightlife is great and its easier to reach, it really depends on your priorities though.