Playing Catch-Up

I didn't work very hard when I was at school, I was probably a bit of an unnoticeable - quite nice, not too naughty, not a high achiever, mildly disruptive and minimally rebellious. I believe most of the staff (who knew who I was) thought I was harmless enough but wouldn't really make much of myself - and in fact years later it was quite a surprise to my old headmistress to be told that I'd just moved to Cambridge to train to be a Vicar, "Isn't it amazing what the Holy Spirit can do!" she said. I don't disagree, and happily give God the credit - though I was slightly disgruntled at the time to have it put in those terms.
I had unsurprisingly left school with very little in the way of qualifications having drifted through one year of sixth form with the only significant achievement being an ability to type by the end of that year. That meant at least that I could get a job in an office, which I did. So the years passed and as they turned I travelled my road from office to parent to childminder and alongside that served in the church until I came to the day when I went off to theological college.
So I had two years to study and read and learn and write essays (which they often had to drag out of me) but I loved it, loved the time set aside for these things and of course that essential gem, 'theological reflection'. And of course I met many different people, some of whom had been to university and were gathering degrees, and others like me for whom this was the first real experience of any form of academic endeavour, at all, or at least for many years; and since then I've been fascinated by the academic experience and knowledge, the quantity and quality of books read and the ease of opinion and expression of those with a richer educational background.
Now don't get me wrong, I have always loved reading and have surrounded myself with books and value the experience of my own life and the riches of faith that have grown through very different experiences; but now I want to play catch-up a bit - gather information - read the books people took for granted during A' levels and first degrees - and form opinions on current theological discussion, literary masterpieces, government policies, bits of history and random parts of the Old Testament - to pluck a few strands from thin air!
So where shall I start? What literary classic/ websites/ journals/ theological tomes/ newspapers/ writers... would you recommend?
Then when I've put the kettle on, prayed for an outpouring of self-discipline and focus and turned off the DVD with "Miss Marple" on - I can get started!