The Catcher in the Rye. A Clockwork Orange. The Great Gatsby. Some book covers are almost as iconic as the words printed between them. To evoke the essence of a story while maintaining the mystery of the unread words within is an artform, indeed – and quite often an unsung one. That's why we're so excited for the 50 Books/50 Covers exhibit going on now at the Chronicle Books on 2nd Street. The event features selections from the American Institute for Graphic Arts' juried picks of the 50 best-designed books and book covers for 2008. Chronicle teamed up with the SF chapter of AIGA and the SF Center for the Book to bring the exhibit, which will be on display in the building from now through November 20th. Like those talented designers we'll try not to give too much away, but we were happy to see that San Francisco's own McSweeney's has several designs that made the cut this year. Head over to Chronicle for a peek to see who made it, and if there were any particular covers that you adored from last year let us know below.