I'm sure there are many threads created for the gnostics somewhere but a fair word of warning to you, sister - the content in these books may often sound similar to passages and verses found in Scripture. However, the danger lies in the minor nuances.
A friend once tried to convince me to read them and take it for truth. He used the witness testimony analogy - that if Jesus went up to a bunch of women to say, "Good morning," witnesses might record the incident as "hi" or "greetings." His point is that the gnostics (such as the Gospel of Thomas) is merely one viewpoint from a witness. My response is that what if it's recorded as, "Hey, babe, lookin' hot there"? It's still a greeting but now we've introduced a sexual overtone. That's what the gnostics are like - they introduce minor differences that are difficult to sift out.
CARM published an excellent summary of points:
http://carm.org/gnosticism. My recommendation: solidify your base with proper systematic theology - the tried and true understandings - so that you'll be equipped to detect the nuances. Then go back to the gnostics if your heart so desires. The gnostics will always be there and I know your heart yearns and desires to learn everything and anything about our Lord. However, there's no point in heading down that path and paying for it in some way because of impatience. Even learning requires patience! It's just not worth the trouble of grieving the Holy Spirit.