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 as the race to reach the number one spot on the bestseller list continues, 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.


Ebook predictions

Mhairi McFarlane's romcom You Had Me At Hello was the bestselling ebook sensation of last Christmas, and her second novel, Here's Looking At You (HarperCollins, ebook £2.99), is out on December 5. The Scottish writer gives her predictions for this year's ebook hits

:: The Beatles - All These Years: Tune In Volume One by Mark Lewisohn (Little, Brown, ebook £14.25) - There's always an appetite for Beatles analysis, and this book's the most dazzlingly detailed yet with the first volume covering the Liverpool and Hamburg years.

:: I Heart Christmas by Lindsey Kelk (Harper, ebook £5.29. Published Nov 21) - Kelk has a rabid army of fans for this series so this is a solid safe bet as a bestseller. I follow her on Twitter to ogle her lifestyle. She lives in New York and tweets about cocktails, gigs and nail varnish.

:: The Kills by Richard House (Picador, ebook £7.79) - Booker longlisted, this book, set in the aftermath of the Iraq war, focuses on non-combatants, the middle men civilian contractors who enter a war zone for a short term for highly-paid work in the danger zone. A gripping, original thriller, likely to do brisk business with fans of David Simon's mini-series Generation Kill.

:: Morrissey: Autobiography (Penguin, ebook £3.99) - Ebooks have perhaps made 'give it a whirl' purchases easier and more economical. Diehard Moz fans will want the Penguin Classic in paperback. The rest of us can get it in this format and chortle with laughter.


Also set to do well...

:: The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty (Penguin, ebook £2.99) - Already among the Kindle ebook bestsellers, the story begins with a woman's discovery of a dusty sealed envelope with 'For my wife - to be opened only in the event of my death' written on it in her husband's handwriting. The letter reveals his terrible mistake and how it could affect her life and the lives of others. If you like Jodi Picoult, you'll love this.


Five gifts for readers

:: The End - Typographic Bookend, £19.95, Goodwin + Goodwin (www.notonthehighstreet.com)

In a stylish glossy red finish, this bookend will make a statement in any home. Quirky, durable and fun, it also comes in other designs including 'That's all folks' in purple or 'Fin' in mint.

:: Chocolate Bookmark, £4.20 (minimum order of three), Cocoapod (www.cocoapod.co.uk)

What could be better than curling up on the sofa with a good book? How about curling up with a book and a bar of chocolate - which doubles as a bookmark (until you scoff it, that is!). Each delicious bar's handmade using Belgian plain, milk or white chocolate and decorated with an edible pattern.

:: Kindle Paperwhite, £109, Amazon

If you haven't yet caught onto the e-reader, the Kindle Paperwhite's the best of the bunch for true readers. Unlike reflective tablets, you can use it outside in the sunlight, plus it has a built-in front light with adjustable brightness and features including Kindle Page Flip, Smart Lookup and Vocabulary Builder. The battery lasts up to eight weeks and it's lighter than other tablets.

:: Chrome Bath Caddy, £49.95, www.handpickedcollection.com

Are you a sucker for reading in the bath? Avoid soggy pages by treating yourself or your loved one to this nifty bath caddy which comes complete with a book-holder - plus space for a wine glass, candles and other sundries to help you relax.

:: Basic Book Clip, £2.99, www.seriousreaders.com

Don't let pages flip over accidentally when you're reading. Invest in this great cheap and cheerful stocking filler which, made of durable plastic, sits between pages to keep them open.