How to parse deep XML values with C#

Question

Working in Visual Studio 2010, .NET v4

I'm a relative newbie to both C# and XML. Using website resources, I was able to work out a fairly simple approach to parsing XML for specific values. However, the XML became increasingly complex, and the method I'm using (sort of a 'navigate via iterations' technique) is starting to look rather absurd, with many nested reader.Read() calls. I'm certain there's a less embarrassing way, but when the only tool you have is a hammer...

So, the question is: What's a neat, clean way to parse the XML (see below), returning a list of all 'action' values, only from an item matching <item itemkind="Wanted"> and <phrase>SomeSearchString</phrase>?

Here is a fragment of the XML:

<formats>
  <items>
    <item itemkind="NotWanted">
      <phrase>Not this one</phrase>
      <actions>
        <action>
          <actionkind>SetStyle</actionkind>
          <parameter>Normal</parameter>
        </action>
        <action>
          <actionkind>SetMargins</actionkind>
          <parameter>0.25,0.25,1,4</parameter>
        </action>
      </actions>
    </item>

    <item itemkind="Wanted">
      <phrase>SomeSearchString</phrase>
      <actions>
        <action>
          <actionkind>Action 1</actionkind>
          <parameter>Param 1</parameter>
        </action>
        <action>
          <actionkind>Action 2</actionkind>
          <parameter>Param 2</parameter>
        </action>
        <action>
          <actionkind>Action 3</actionkind>
          <parameter>Param 3</parameter>
        </action>
      </actions>
    </item>
  </items>

  <styles>
    <style stylename="Normal">
      <fontname>Arial</fontname>
      <fontsize>10</fontsize>
      <bold>0</bold>
    </style>
    <style stylename="Heading">
      <fontname>fntame frhead</fontname>
      <fontsize>12</fontsize>
      <bold>1</bold>
    </style>
  </styles>
</formats>

And here's the code that I've arrived at. It does work, but, well, see for yourself. Please be gentle:

public static List<TAction> GetActionsForPhraseItem(string AFileName, string APhrase)
{
   List<TAction> list = new List<TAction>();
   string xmlactionkind = null;
   string xmlparameter = null;
   string match = null;

   // Search through XML items
   using (XmlReader reader = XmlReader.Create(AFileName))
   {
      if (reader.ReadToFollowing("items"))
      {
         while (reader.Read())
         {
            if (reader.ReadToFollowing("item"))
            {
               while (reader.Read())
               {
                  if (reader.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Element && reader.GetAttribute("itemkind") == "Phrase")
                  {
                     if (reader.ReadToFollowing("phrase"))
                     {
                        match = reader.ReadString();
                        if (match == APhrase)
                        {
                           if (reader.ReadToFollowing("actions"))
                           {
                              // Use a subtree to deal with just the aItemKind item actions
                              using (var SubTree = reader.ReadSubtree())
                              {
                                 bool HaveActionKind = false;
                                 bool HaveParameter = false;

                                 while (SubTree.Read())
                                 {
                                    if (SubTree.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Element && SubTree.Name == "actionkind")
                                    {
                                       xmlactionkind = SubTree.ReadString();
                                       HaveActionKind = true;
                                    }

                                    if (SubTree.NodeType == XmlNodeType.Element && SubTree.Name == "parameter")
                                    {
                                       xmlparameter = SubTree.ReadString();
                                       HaveParameter = true;
                                    }

                                    if ((HaveActionKind == true) && (HaveParameter == true))
                                    {
                                       TAction action = new TAction()
                                       {
                                          ActionKind = xmlactionkind,
                                          Parameter = xmlparameter
                                       };

                                       list.Add(action);
                                       HaveActionKind = false;
                                       HaveParameter = false;
                                    }
                                 }
                              }
                           }
                        }
                     }
                  }
               }
            }
         }
      }
   }
   return list;
}

Bearing in mind that I'm new to C#, I suspect that LINQ would be quite useful here, but so far I haven't been able to wrap my brain around it. Trying to learn too many new things at once, I imagine. Thanks in advance for any help (and constructive criticisms).

EDIT: This is the final working code I ended up with. Thanks everyone who responded!

public static List<TAction> GetActionsForPhraseItemTWO(string AFileName, string ASearchPhrase)
{
  List<TAction> list = new List<TAction>();
  var itemKind = "Wanted";
  var searchPhrase = ASearchPhrase;
  var doc = XDocument.Load(AFileName);
  var matches = doc.Descendants("item")
    .Where(x => x.Attribute("itemkind") != null &&
       x.Attribute("itemkind").Value == itemKind &&
       x.Descendants("phrase").FirstOrDefault() != null &&
       x.Descendants("phrase").FirstOrDefault().Value == searchPhrase)
    .SelectMany(x => x.Descendants("action"));
  foreach (var temp in matches)
  {
    TAction action = new TAction()
    {
      ActionKind = temp.Element("actionkind").Value.ToString(),
      Parameter = temp.Element("parameter").Value.ToString()
    };
    list.Add(action);
  }
  return list;
}

Answer 1

var node = XDocument.Load(fname)
                    .XPathSelectElement("//item[@itemkind='Wanted']/phrase");
var text = node.Value;

Answer 2

var val = XDocument.Load(filename) // OR  XDocument.Parse(xmlstring)
            .Descendants("item")
            .First(i => i.Attribute("itemkind").Value == "Wanted")
            .Element("phrase")
            .Value;