I have started reading the Wolverine and the X-Men series but it seems like I need to read the Schism storyline to make sense of some of the backstory. What other storylines do I need to read to get a relatively self-contained selection? For instance, I noted a mention of the X-Force which I am not familiar with.
I am aware of this question, but it extends further back than I'm looking to start with and doesn't address the self-contained nature of the backstory.
It sounds like you might benefit from reading this related question.
In short apart from Schism, you might want to read Second Coming, Messiah Complex and House of M. In reverse order.
Schism looks into the split of the X-men into Cyclops' and Wolverines (thus why he is in his own school of sorts). Then Second coming, the return of Hope, one of the causes of the Schism. Hope is born in Messiah Complex, which is important as she's the first new mutant born, after the decimation following House of M, the last BIG stir up in the mutant world.
I just came back to the series after about a decade hiatus of reading comics and was introduced to this series through X-Men: Regenesis and then into the Number 1 of Wolverine and the X-men. This gives the details about how each group was formed after the Schism line. Most other books that you may need to read are mentioned as an act comes up (more often then not X-Force). But like the New 52 this is a great jumping on point were you may not have the whole background but they will fill some in as it goes along.
