Best Podcasts, Books, and TV Shows of 2019

Every item on this page was chosen by The Fed & Fit team. The site may earn a commission on some products (read more here).

This is a compiled list of the best books, podcasts, and shows we all enjoyed in 2019! We’ve broken the results down between our team picks and your suggestions from Instagram. A big THANK YOU to everyone who pitched in with their top picks of the year! I hope this list keeps you entertained with only the very best.

Note that I (Cassy Joy) added ** to the items I’ve chosen to enjoy myself next! With a maternity leave on the horizon, I’m excited to build a quality list of entertainment for the hours when my newborn naps and Gray (our 2 y/o daughter) is at school.

Best Books of 2019

Fed + Fit Team Picks

Cassy Joy: Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover – oh this book! This book really stayed with me. Beautifully written, bravely told, I was left equal-parts in awe of Tara Westover and also feeling a little less alone in this world. Memoirs can be a little dry at times, but her story is richly told and I couldn’t put it down. (The Last Mrs. Parrish: A Novel by Liv Constantine is a close 2nd if you’re looking for a really well-constructed psychological thriller).
Amber: The Hearts Invisible Furies by John Boyne – This book follows a gay man born in Ireland in 1945 throughout his entire life. It’s not the type of book I’d normally pick up, and I was intimidated by its size but it was so engrossing that I finished it in a matter of days. I loved that the characters in this book were all flawed in their own way, and it was an incredible look into the gay rights movement and humanity in general.
Lauren: The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman-This book simplified the decision-making process in my life. As an “over-thinker,” I found this book incredibly refreshing!

Fed + Fit Reader Choices:

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (138 reader votes)**
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover (53 reader votes)
Becoming by Michelle Obama (19 reader votes)
The Nightingale: A Novel by Kristin Hannah (16 reader votes)
Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals by Rachel Hollis (13 reader votes)
The Great Alone: A Novel by Kristin Hannah (12 reader votes)
Atomic Habits by James Clear (7 reader votes)**
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine: A Novel by Gail Honeyman (7 reader votes)
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brene’ Brown (7 reader votes)
City of Girls: A Novel by Elizabeth Gilbert (7 reader votes)
It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa Terkheurst (7 reader votes)
Little Fires Everywhere: A Novel (7 reader votes)
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (8 reader votes)
Daisy Jones & The Six: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid (6 reader votes)
All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel by Anthony Doerr (6 reader votes)
The Alice Network: A Novel by Kate Quinn (6 reader votes)
Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo (5 reader votes)
CIRCE by Madeline Miller (5 reader votes)
Recursion: A Novel by Blake Crouch (5 reader votes)
The Huntress: A Novel by Kate Quinn (5 reader votes)
The Tattooist of Auschwitz: A Novel by Heather Morris (5 reader votes)**
The Woman in the Window: A Novel by A. J Finn (5 reader votes)
The Dutch House: A Novel by Ann Patchett (5 reader votes)
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou (4 reader votes)
Before We Were Yours: A Novel by Lisa Wingate (4 reader votes)
Life Will Be the Death of Me…And You Too! by Chelsea Handler (4 reader votes)
Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose by Rebekah Lyons (4 reader votes)
The Testaments: The Sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (4 reader votes)
Verity by Colleen Hoover (4 reader votes)
What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon (3 reader votes)
This Is How It Always Is: A Novel by Laurie Frankel (3 reader votes)
The Things We Cannot Say: A Novel by Kelly Rimmer (3 reader votes)
Maybe You Should Talk To Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb (3 reader votes)**
A Gentleman in Moscow: A Novel by Amor Towles (3 reader votes)
Beneath a Scarlet Sky: A Novel Mark Sullivan (3 reader votes)
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell (3 reader votes)
Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow (3 reader votes)
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance (3 reader votes)

Best Podcasts of 2019

Fed + Fit Team Picks

Cassy Joy: Typology with Ian Morgan Cron – it falls into the “educatainment” category, but the graceful, tactful way IMC (a seasoned therapist) leads his guests through self-reflective conversations about the enneagram always leave me feeling comforted and inspired. It’s starkly different from the baseline enneagram “worst flaws” focus of other resources. (The Popcast is a close second for a really fun, light show that always has me laughing!).
Amber: Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend– While I listen to business podcasts the majority of the time, this podcast is my go-to when I want to unwind. The Mila Kunis episode had me laughing so hard I was crying!
Lauren: This American Life and Fun Therapy– I never miss an episode of either of these!

Fed + Fit Reader Choices:

Armchair Expert (71 reader votes)
My Favorite Murder (38 reader votes)
Crime Junkie (37 reader votes)
Driven (27 reader votes)
Girls Gone Wod (20 reader votes)
Office Ladies (21 reader votes)
Do the Thing (13 reader votes)
How I Built This with Guy Raz (13 reader votes)
Modern Mamas (13 reader votes)
Dolly Parton’s America (10 reader votes)
Happier with Gretchen Rubin (10 reader votes)
Absolutely Not (9 reader votes)
Culpable Podcast (9 reader votes)
That Sounds Fun (9 reader votes)
The Doctor’s Farmacy (9 reader votes)
The Daily (8 reader votes)
Dr. Death (8 reader votes)
Wine & Crime (8 reader votes)
The Happy Hour (7 reader votes)
To Live and Die in LA (7 reader votes)**
Young House Love (7 reader votes)
Coffee and Crumbs (5 reader votes)
In the Dark (5 reader votes)
Meathead Hippie (5 reader votes)
Mindpump Podcast (5 reader votes)
The Dropout (5 reader votes)**
Cold (4 reader votes)
Mom Brain (4 reader votes)
Forever 35 (4 reader votes)
Fed + Fit (4 reader votes)
Harder to Kill (4 reader votes)
Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend (4 reader votes)
Up and Vanished (4 reader votes)
Well Fed Women (4 reader votes)
Terrible, Thanks for Asking (4 reader votes)
22 Hours: An American Nightmare (3 reader votes)**
Borrowed Future (3 reader votes)
Serial (3 reader votes)
By the Book (3 reader votes)
The Next Right Thing Podcast (3 reader votes)
Reply All (3 reader votes)
The Thing About Pam (3 reader votes)**
This American Life (3 reader votes)
True Crime Obsessed (3 reader votes)

Best TV Shows of 2019

Fed + Fit Team Picks

Cassy Joy: Downtown Abbey on PBS– I know, I know, I’m late to the party! I chose this show as a nod to anyone who hasn’t watched it yet! It’s not too late. It’s fabulous, worth the hype, and was one of my comforts while I traveled for the Cook Once book tour this past spring. I couldn’t wait to get back to my hotel room so I could order a room service burger, glass of red wine, plop on a face mask, and turn on Downtown Abbey.
Amber: Killing Eve on Hulu– This show has drama, action, and plenty of dark humor. We binged it in just a few weeks!
Lauren: Call the Midwife on Netflix- I didn’t expect to be so moved by this series. It’s definitely a tear-jerker- beautifully done.

Fed + Fit Reader Choices: