Whether you're buying for your dad, sister or that friend who seems to have everything, books make the perfect present - but which titles are set to be big sellers this Christmas? Chris White, fiction buyer at Waterstones, shares his predictions with Sophie Herdman.

The festive season's the perfect time to curl up with a good book, but which publications are set for success?

First up on Waterstones fiction buyer Chris White's list of predictions is Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy by Helen Fielding (Jonathan Cape, £18.99), the third Bridget book, released 14 years after the last. With Darcy gone, our unlikely heroine's now a single mum of two meeting men online.

"Fans of the original books have not been, and will not be, disappointed," promises White.

Next, he suggests two autobiographies - Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography (Hodder & Stoughton, £25) and Morrissey: Autobiography (Penguin Classics, £8.99).

"It's the definitive autobiography by the man who dominated English and European football for over two decades," says White of the former. "It's the perfect gift for anybody with even a passing interest in the beautiful game."

Smiths frontman Morrissey's memoir has been published as a Penguin Classic, a privilege normally reserved for elite writers like Austen, Darwin and Orwell.

"This was the most anticipated music biography of all time," says White. "Moz's memoir is everything a fan could hope for - and quite a bit more."

In fiction, Ian Rankin's newest crime novel Saints Of The Shadow Bible (Orion Books, £18.99), featuring the author's infamous detective John Rebus, is also likely to be among the big sellers.

"It's Rankin's best novel for years which, given that his are consistently the best crime novels going, is quite an accolade," notes White.

For some light relief, look for The Grumpy Dieter's Handbook by Ivor Grump (Portico, £9.99) which, despite its name, is not really a diet book at all.

"It's the antidote to every dieting fad of the last decade, and the humour book everybody will be talking about," White predicts. From the The Father Ted Tribute diet to The Cross Channel Ferries diet, this one will have you in stitches.

Other Christmas big sellers

Solo by William Boyd (Jonathan Cape, £18.99) - The latest writer to attempt a James Bond novel since Ian Fleming's death - previous authors include Raymond Benson, Sebastian Faulks and Jeffrey Deaver - sees Bond posing as a French journalist in war-torn fictional Zanzarim in West Africa. It's up to Bond to derail the rebels' cause, but events escalate and the spy is left with a score to settle which takes him around the world on a rogue mission.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (Little, Brown, £20) - Tartt's latest offering tells the tale of Theo who, aged 13, survives an explosion in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, while his mother doesn't make it out alive. Alone, the boy has only a painting, The Goldfinch, which he stole from the rubble, to remind him of his mother. He's taken in by a dysfunctional, wealthy family and has many adventures, including a drugs-fuelled Las Vegas expedition.

War Of The Roses: Stormbird by Conn Iggulden (Michael Joseph, £18.99) - This is the first novel of Iggulden's new War Of The Roses trilogy and marks his first attempt at detailing Britain's past, having previously focused on the Romans and Genghis Khan. Stormbird focuses on Henry VI, known as the Lamb, a weak ruler who relies heavily on those closest to him to run the country.

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton (Granta, £18.99) - This year's Man Booker Prize-winner is set in 1866, and follows Walter Moody, who travels to New Zealand to make money in the gold fields. He stumbles across a group of locals discussing a series of recent mysterious events, including the disappearance of a wealthy man and a large sum of money being discovered in the home of a drunk. A story of twists and turns, mysteries and ghosts ensue.

Letters Of Note: Correspondence Deserving Of A Wider Audience by Shaun Usher (Canongate, £30) - Based on the hugely popular website of the same name, Letters Of Note is a collection of more than 100 letters, some funny, some inspiring, some very sad. Among them are letters from Mick Jagger, Emily Dickinson, Charles Darwin, Elvis Presley and Groucho Marx, as well as Virginia Woolf's heart-breaking suicide note, an appeal for peace from Gandhi to Hitler, a job application from Leonardo Da Vinci and a recipe for drop scones from Queen Elizabeth II to President Eisenhower.