7 French Lifestyle Books That Will Change How You Eat, Dress, and Age (Without Moving to Paris)

There is something about the French lifestyle that appeals to many of us. Maybe it’s something to do with the way they make chic so effortless. Perhaps with the fabulous bread, cheese, and wine, or maybe it’s the whole way of life we’ve fallen in love with.

I know I’ve often wondered what secret sauce the French have that makes us all salivate over their lifestyle. Or at least I did until I moved to France. It was then that I discovered there’s no magic involved, but there are definitely some tricks to the trade.

One thing I found out pretty quickly was that the French are very protective of their downtime and put family before their career. But that’s no great secret really, and there’s definitely more to it than that.

7 French Lifestyle Books You Won’t Be Able to Put Down

These seven books will give you the inside scoop on how French women eat, dress, age, parent, and generally navigate life with that signature je ne sais quoi. Written by women who’ve lived it (or studied it obsessively), each one offers something different. 

French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano

Let’s start with the book that kicked off this whole French lifestyle obsession back in 2004, and the first French lifestyle book I bought, French Women Don’t Get Fat. Mireille Guiliano spent a year as an exchange student in Massachusetts and came home 20 pounds heavier after discovering the joys of American brownies and cookies. Her family doctor, “Dr. Miracle,” helped her lose the weight by teaching her to eat the French way.

The book isn’t a diet in the traditional sense. There’s no calorie counting, no forbidden foods, and definitely no giving up wine or chocolate. Instead, Guiliano focuses on portion control, quality over quantity, and actually enjoying your food rather than wolfing it down while scrolling through your phone.

She introduces concepts like eating seasonally, walking everywhere instead of going to the gym, and the idea that if you’re going to have dessert, make it something spectacular rather than settling for mediocre cookies from a package. The recipes include things like leek soup and yogurt cake, simple French staples that won’t require a culinary degree to execute.

The book sold over 3 million copies worldwide and spawned an entire genre of “French women don’t…” titles. Love it or hate it, it changed the conversation about dieting in America.

All You Need to Be Impossibly French by Helena Frith Powell

British journalist Helena Frith Powell moved to France and became obsessed with figuring out how French women manage to look effortlessly chic while eating butter and drinking wine. Published in 2006 (under the title “Two Lipsticks and a Lover” in the UK), the book investigates French beauty secrets, fashion choices, and lifestyle habits.

Powell interviews French women, beauty experts, and fashion insiders to get to the bottom of the French mystique. She covers everything from lingerie (French women invest heavily in beautiful undergarments) to skincare routines that involve more steps than most Americans would tolerate.

All You Need to Be Impossibly French delves into French attitudes toward sex, relationships, and the importance of maintaining mystery and allure throughout life. French women see beauty maintenance as an investment in themselves, not vanity. 

Powell’s writing is entertaining and self-deprecating. She’s not French herself, so she approaches the subject as an admiring outsider trying to crack the code. The book offers practical tips, mixed with cultural observations, on why French women seem to have mastered the art of living well.

Forever Chic by Tish Jett

Tish Jett worked as a fashion journalist in Paris for years, eventually becoming the last editor of the American edition of Elle magazine before it moved back to New York. Instead of following the magazine, she stayed in France, married a Frenchman, and spent the next few decades observing how French women over 40 approach aging.

Published in 2013, Forever Chic explores beauty routines, wardrobe choices, diet, and the French attitude toward aging. French women don’t panic about wrinkles or try to look 25 forever. They adapt their style as they age but never stop taking care of themselves.

Jett also covers entertaining, organization, and that French concept of bien dans sa peau, feeling comfortable in your own skin. The writing is warm and practical, more like getting advice from a stylish friend than being lectured about aging gracefully.

How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are by Caroline de Maigret, Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, and Sophie Mas

Four French women (a model, a novelist, a screenwriter, and a film producer) got together in 2014 to write this guide to Parisian life, and the result is equal parts hilarious and useful. They tackle everything from dating to skincare to what Parisians really think about tourists.

How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are is organized into short, punchy sections with titles like “The Parisienne’s Fridge” and “How to Age.” The authors are refreshingly honest about their flaws and contradictions. They admit to being snobs, self-centered, and occasionally unreliable, but they’re also tender, romantic, and fiercely loyal to their friends.

Their style advice focuses on creating a wardrobe of basicsand elevating them with accessories. Beauty tips include never washing your hair more than twice a week and embracing your imperfections rather than trying to fix everything. They provide restaurant recommendations, addresses for shopping in Paris, and opinions on everything from weddings to infidelity.

The tone is witty and tongue-in-cheek. These women aren’t claiming to have all the answers, but they’re happy to share what works for them. Karl Lagerfeld himself endorsed the book, writing, “You don’t have to be French to be a Parisian.”

The Bonjour Effect by Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow

This husband-and-wife team (he’s French-Canadian, she’s Anglo-Canadian) spent a decade traveling to Paris and eventually lived there for a year with their twin daughters. Despite speaking fluent French, they kept running into communication problems that had nothing to do with vocabulary.

Published in 2016, The Bonjour Effect explains that the French don’t just communicate, they converse. There are unspoken rules about conversation topics, formality levels, and the proper way to greet people. The book breaks down these cultural codes so you can understand why saying “bonjour” when entering a shop is non-negotiable and why French people discuss politics and philosophy at dinner parties while Americans talk about jobs and hobbies.

The authors explain French attitudes toward education, work-life balance, relationships, and what constitutes good manners. They cover everything from why French parents let their kids stay up late to the importance of intellectual debate in daily life.

If you’ve ever felt confused or frustrated when interacting with French people, this book will help you understand the cultural context behind their behavior. It’s less about lifestyle tips and more about decoding French communication patterns, but understanding how the French think is essential if you want to embrace their way of life.

My Life in France by Julia Child

Julia Child didn’t set out to become a culinary icon. She was a 36-year-old American diplomat’s wife who moved to Paris in 1948, knowing nothing about French food. Then she took a cooking class at Le Cordon Bleu and everything changed.

Published in 2006 (a year after Child’s death), My Life in France is a memoir that chronicles her years in France learning to cook, meeting food lovers who became lifelong friends, and eventually writing “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” the book that taught America how to make boeuf bourguignon and coq au vin.

Child writes about discovering French markets, tasting oysters for the first time in Brittany, and the pure joy of learning to make a perfect omelet. Her enthusiasm for French food and culture is infectious. She wasn’t interested in being sophisticated or French; she just wanted to cook delicious food and share it with people she loved.

The book offers recipes, cooking tips, and cultural observations about post-war France. But mostly it’s a love letter to the experience of throwing yourself into something completely new and embracing a different way of life. If you’ve ever wanted to move to France and reinvent yourself, Julia Child’s story will make you believe it’s possible.

Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman

American journalist Pamela Druckerman moved to Paris, had three kids, and immediately noticed something weird: French children actually behaved themselves in restaurants. They slept through the night at three months old. They ate vegetables without a fight. Meanwhile, her American friends were dealing with tantrums, picky eaters, and kids who still weren’t sleeping at age two.

Published in 2012, Bringing Up Bébé breaks down the French parenting philosophy that prioritizes teaching kids patience, respect for adult time, and the ability to entertain themselves. French parents use something Druckerman calls “the pause,” which means waiting a few moments before rushing to pick up a crying baby, giving the child time to learn self-soothing.

French kids don’t snack constantly. They have set meal times and one afternoon snack called the goûter. They’re expected to taste everything on their plate, even if they don’t love it, because French parents see food education as part of raising cultured human beings.

The book sparked debates about parenting styles, with some people embracing the structured French approach and others arguing it was too rigid. But even critics admitted Druckerman made some excellent points about teaching kids delayed gratification and respect for boundaries.