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Ep. 81 — Brooke Hathaway-DeSantis of Bike Trail Books on Books, Community and the Human Side of AI
This week, we start with local news from around Clermont County and the region before sitting down with Brooke Hathaway-DeSantis, owner of Bike Trail Books in Loveland, for a conversation about independent bookstores, reading, community, small business and the complicated role artificial intelligence is beginning to play in creative work.
We begin in Wilmington, where a resident has filed a lawsuit challenging the city’s use of emergency legislation to approve rezoning connected to a proposed Amazon Web Services data center. The dispute centers on whether the emergency designation improperly prevents residents from challenging the zoning decision through a referendum. A judge has temporarily paused the latest zoning action while the case moves forward.
In Loveland, debate continues over the city’s Flock license plate reader cameras. A resident presented City Council with a petition signed by nearly 400 people calling for their removal, citing privacy, data-sharing and effectiveness concerns. Council members largely defended the cameras as a useful law-enforcement tool while acknowledging unresolved questions about how information may be accessed by other jurisdictions.
Loveland is also moving its Downtown Streetscape Phase One project closer to construction. The project would combine visible improvements such as sidewalks, lighting, curbs and street trees with major water, stormwater and sanitary sewer work. The city is pursuing state and federal funding, with construction potentially beginning in late summer 2027.
Flock cameras were also a major topic in Union Township. Trustees agreed to hold a special town hall-style work session before the October business meeting to hear from police, residents and other stakeholders. Trustee Michael Logue introduced a motion to temporarily suspend the Flock program until stronger written policies and safeguards were adopted, but the motion failed 1–2.
Union Township trustees also approved a zoning change for roughly 9.98 acres that would accommodate six single-family homes. The proposal passed 2–1 after discussion over density and how the development fits the township’s long-term plans.
And Costco continues moving forward in Eastgate. Union Township officials announced that the retailer has officially submitted plans for its proposed development, marking another step in the zoning and approval process.
Interview — Brooke Hathaway-DeSantis
Brooke Hathaway-DeSantis is the owner of Bike Trail Books, an independent bookstore in historic Downtown Loveland.
Brooke explains how a visit to a small bookstore during a 2022 trip to Virginia planted the idea that eventually became Bike Trail Books. What began as an online-only experiment quickly grew into pop-ups, story times and book clubs before Hometown Cafe offered her space for a small physical bookstore.
Within weeks, the online business had become brick and mortar.
Brooke talks about bootstrapping the store, the importance of supportive local partners and why choosing Downtown Loveland turned out to be one of the most important decisions she made.
We also get into the realities of running a small bookstore. Brooke discusses thin margins, staffing, balancing business ownership with raising young children and why she invested in employees much earlier than many new small-business owners might.
Brooke describes independent bookstores as modern “third spaces”, places outside the home and workplace where people can gather, develop relationships and build community. Bike Trail Books leans heavily into that role through memberships, a dozen monthly book clubs and events ranging from book bedazzling and educational workshops to Classics and Cocktails and Read Between the Wines.
We talk about the broader resurgence of independent bookstores, the strength of Cincinnati’s indie book scene and the Cincinnati Bookstore Crawl, which now brings readers through dozens of independent bookstores across the region.
From there, the conversation takes an unexpected turn into artificial intelligence.
We talk about the difficult questions facing writers, artists, designers and small-business owners as AI becomes increasingly capable. Brooke explains why she draws a line around using AI for creative work while still recognizing its usefulness for business operations.
Our conversation becomes an exploration of where useful technology ends and human creativity begins and what happens when small businesses and individual creators are left wrestling with ethical questions that much larger corporations may have little incentive to consider.
Brooke also talks about what she is reading, how audiobooks fit into her life and what genres are moving through the bookstore. We discuss fantasy, romantasy, horror, science fiction, middle-grade books and the challenge of getting young readers into the right book at the right time.
And Brooke gives us plenty of recommendations.
Among the books discussed are The House in the Cerulean Sea, The Midnight Library, I See You’ve Called in Dead, The Ministry of Time, Dungeon Crawler Carl and The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion.
And a big thank you to Brooke for suppling the episode art for this week's episode!
Links from This Episode
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This week, we start with local news from around Clermont County and the region before sitting down with Brooke Hathaway-DeSantis, owner of Bike Trail Books in Loveland, for a conversation about independent bookstores, reading, community, small business and the complicated role artificial intelligence is beginning to play in creative work.
We begin in Wilmington, where a resident has filed a lawsuit challenging the city’s use of emergency legislation to approve rezoning connected to a proposed Amazon Web Services data center. The dispute centers on whether the emergency designation improperly prevents residents from challenging the zoning decision through a referendum. A judge has temporarily paused the latest zoning action while the case moves forward.
In Loveland, debate continues over the city’s Flock license plate reader cameras. A resident presented City Council with a petition signed by nearly 400 people calling for their removal, citing privacy, data-sharing and effectiveness concerns. Council members largely defended the cameras as a useful law-enforcement tool while acknowledging unresolved questions about how information may be accessed by other jurisdictions.
Loveland is also moving its Downtown Streetscape Phase One project closer to construction. The project would combine visible improvements such as sidewalks, lighting, curbs and street trees with major water, stormwater and sanitary sewer work. The city is pursuing state and federal funding, with construction potentially beginning in late summer 2027.
Flock cameras were also a major topic in Union Township. Trustees agreed to hold a special town hall-style work session before the October business meeting to hear from police, residents and other stakeholders. Trustee Michael Logue introduced a motion to temporarily suspend the Flock program until stronger written policies and safeguards were adopted, but the motion failed 1–2.
Union Township trustees also approved a zoning change for roughly 9.98 acres that would accommodate six single-family homes. The proposal passed 2–1 after discussion over density and how the development fits the township’s long-term plans.
And Costco continues moving forward in Eastgate. Union Township officials announced that the retailer has officially submitted plans for its proposed development, marking another step in the zoning and approval process.
Interview — Brooke Hathaway-DeSantis
Brooke Hathaway-DeSantis is the owner of Bike Trail Books, an independent bookstore in historic Downtown Loveland.
Brooke explains how a visit to a small bookstore during a 2022 trip to Virginia planted the idea that eventually became Bike Trail Books. What began as an online-only experiment quickly grew into pop-ups, story times and book clubs before Hometown Cafe offered her space for a small physical bookstore.
Within weeks, the online business had become brick and mortar.
Brooke talks about bootstrapping the store, the importance of supportive local partners and why choosing Downtown Loveland turned out to be one of the most important decisions she made.
We also get into the realities of running a small bookstore. Brooke discusses thin margins, staffing, balancing business ownership with raising young children and why she invested in employees much earlier than many new small-business owners might.
Brooke describes independent bookstores as modern “third spaces”, places outside the home and workplace where people can gather, develop relationships and build community. Bike Trail Books leans heavily into that role through memberships, a dozen monthly book clubs and events ranging from book bedazzling and educational workshops to Classics and Cocktails and Read Between the Wines.
We talk about the broader resurgence of independent bookstores, the strength of Cincinnati’s indie book scene and the Cincinnati Bookstore Crawl, which now brings readers through dozens of independent bookstores across the region.
From there, the conversation takes an unexpected turn into artificial intelligence.
We talk about the difficult questions facing writers, artists, designers and small-business owners as AI becomes increasingly capable. Brooke explains why she draws a line around using AI for creative work while still recognizing its usefulness for business operations.
Our conversation becomes an exploration of where useful technology ends and human creativity begins and what happens when small businesses and individual creators are left wrestling with ethical questions that much larger corporations may have little incentive to consider.
Brooke also talks about what she is reading, how audiobooks fit into her life and what genres are moving through the bookstore. We discuss fantasy, romantasy, horror, science fiction, middle-grade books and the challenge of getting young readers into the right book at the right time.
And Brooke gives us plenty of recommendations.
Among the books discussed are The House in the Cerulean Sea, The Midnight Library, I See You’ve Called in Dead, The Ministry of Time, Dungeon Crawler Carl and The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion.
And a big thank you to Brooke for suppling the episode art for this week's episode!
Links from This Episode
News
- Wilmington resident challenges emergency legislation used for Amazon Web Services data-center rezoning
- Lawsuit raises questions about residents’ ability to pursue a zoning referendum
- Loveland residents present petition seeking removal of Flock license plate reader cameras
- Loveland officials defend Flock cameras while acknowledging continuing privacy and data-sharing concerns
- Loveland moves Downtown Streetscape Phase One closer to construction
- Union Township plans special public work session on its Flock camera program
- Motion to temporarily suspend Union Township’s Flock cameras fails 1–2
- Union Township approves zoning change for six additional single-family homes
- Costco officially submits plans for its proposed Eastgate development
- Union Township Farmers Market Season Finale
- Miami Township Community CPR
- Union Township CPR/AED Training
- Milford Farmers Market at Five Points Landing
- Batavia Farmers Market
- Milford Farmers Market at the Greenhouse
- Second Saturday at Haussermann Park
- Batavia Fun Fair
- New Richmond Farmers Market
- Clermont County Tire Disposal Day
- America 250 Revolutionary War Veterans Monument Dedication
- Loveland Farmers Market
- Pawpaw Hike at Pattison Park
- Williamsburg Farmers Market
- Pawpaws Along the Paved Loop
- Music on the River — Wild Carrot
- New Richmond Homecoming Parade
- Pawpaw Hike at Klingman Park
- Night Hike — Possums and Pawpaws
- Clermont County History and Museum Day
- Major General William Lytle’s 250th Birthday Celebration
- Simmons Farms Saturday Farmers Market
- Annual Lantern Lighting Ceremony
- Sunset on the River
If the show brings you value, consider supporting us through your time, talent, or treasure. Visit Let’s Talk Clermont online to subscribe, donate, share a boots-on-the-ground report, or contact the show.
Newsletter
If the show brings you value, consider supporting us!
