How can I get into networking as a hobby as well as educationally?

I've been studying for my CCNA through CCNA Exploration at my community college. I think this is probably the best career path for me, but I have a hard time finding the motivation to study or learn anything new.

However, I do really enjoy cool stuff like blogs, websites, news, maybe podcasts, etc. that have to do with anything I'm getting into. I recently got into old school BBSes, for example, and read tons of forums, blogs, how-tos, and eventually set one up myself for private use.

I want to get into Cisco, CCNA, and networking as a hobby as well as something I'm studying. I already like it to a good extent, but I want to really love it and be genuinely interested in knowing more. If anyone has any resources, websites, or books that I can read, please list them here. And thanks.